Mirror
by TheCrazyNekoLady
Summary: It starts off with a ray of sunshine and ends in a wasteland. We make do of what we have in life. But life isn't fair. It can only get better or worse. [This story is being re-written and improved.]
1. A Boy by the Swing

Disclaimer: _I do not own Tokyo Ghoul._

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_**Mirror**_

**By TCNL**

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_**Chapter 1: A Boy by the Swing**_

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_**Flip.**_

I kept reading the book I had while sitting under my favorite tree in the neighborhood park. It was one of those days where I had nothing to do and my parents were busy. They were always busy with work. They only had time for me during weekends. I started to notice this pattern ever since I learned how a calendar works.

My mind started to wander off. I began recalling the things that happened to me so far.

They said I was two when I started to read the newspaper. The same year, I started messing around dad's computer. I learned to do all sorts of stuff with the computer and started to play some games with it. Mom and Dad said they were proud of me. I was happy.

I turned three and there was a small celebration. My grandparents gave me a karaoke as tall as me. I hated dresses but they made me wear that ugly pink and black dress that day too. I decided not to complain anymore, especially that the house was lively with all the guests Mom and Dad invited. On that day too, I had my first clear memory of raindrops hitting my skin. It felt calming. I was happy.

Mom and Dad sometimes fight, though I don't know why. It came to the point that Dad was strangling Mom. I hit Dad in the arm, crying and begging him to stop hurting Mom. He looked at me and thankfully, he let go of Mom. Since that happened, sometimes before I sleep, I will randomly remember that bad memory.

I didn't have any friends. My parents rarely let me out of the house. But today is one of the days that they went away and my grandma is busy cooking lunch. I went outside to get some fresh air without my grandma knowing. It was the only way I could explore outside. A little late, I found a nearby park and saw this huge beautiful tree.

_**Flip.**_

I looked down at the page I was at and started reading about volcanoes. I heard the creak of the swing near the slide. Looking to my left, I saw a boy. He had black hair and gray-ish eyes. He looked so sad. But why? He suddenly turned his head and found him looking at me too.

_Uh…_

Awkwardly, I turned my gaze back into my book. I think I saw him look away quickly too. That was embarrassing. I read through the pages furiously, not getting much from it at all, still flustered about what just happened. _I want to hide but I don't want to leave this spot_, I thought to myself. I settled down a few moments later and kept reading my book.

Suddenly, there was a noisy chorus of laughter around the entrance of the park. I looked up and saw that it was a couple of kids. They didn't look nice at all. I saw them laugh again before turning their attention to the boy on the swing. The most brutish-looking boy walked up to the boy on the swing and started teasing him. The boy on the swing didn't react and just looked at the ground. _Why is he just letting them do that? It's not right._ I didn't notice another kid sneak-up behind him and pushed him off the swing. The other kids started to laugh at him.

The boy was now on his knees, trying his best not to cry. I closed my book and gripped it while thinking of how to make the other kids back off.

"Heh, why don't you talk Ken-_chan_? Is there something wrong with you?" The 'leader' asked the boy. I need to stop them. He did not do anything wrong. He looked so sad before. They should stop. "Not going to answer me, huh?" The leader had a mean look on his face and kicked the boy on his side. I heard him gasp in pain. The leader was going to kick him again and I moved before I knew what I was doing.

**THWACK.**

"O-ow!" The leader cried while clutching his face. The other kids stared at me.

_Oh no, oh no, oh no. Now they're going to hurt me._ I tried to push back my fear and glared as best as I could. "What do you think you're doing?" I asked, my voice rising at the end. "Leave him alone!" I shouted as bravely as I can. _Argh, what am I doing? _"Oh yeah? You're too small to talk like that–", the leader started and my vision swam in red. I cut him off as I gave another high-five to his face with my book.

"ENOUGH! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" I glared at them again. The other kids with him made some sounds and the leader looked at me and they all left running. _Serves them right. _My legs felt like jelly and fell to the ground on my butt. Breathing a sigh of relief, I clutched my book to my chest and looked at the boy beside me.

"Are you okay?" I asked. He got this weird look on his face before answering.

"Y-yeah, I am. T-thanks," he said. But the scrapes on his knees said otherwise.

I set my book down, grabbed my handkerchief from my pocket, and wiped the dirt from his wounds. He had this weird look on his face again – his cheeks were red, as if he was sick. "T-thanks. Um, who are you? I mean, um, I've never seen you before." He tilted his head a little to the side as he asked. I blinked. _Oh._

"I'm sorry! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Michiyo. You can call me Mi-chan if you wanna," I said and I continued dusting off his knees. "What's your name?" I asked. "Oh, um, my name is Ken," he answered. _Oh yeah. That huge kid called him 'Ken-chan'. Probably a way of mocking him. _I finished cleaning his knees and I unfolded my handkerchief, using the clean side to wrap around the bigger wound on his right knee. I saw him about to protest but I will not have any of it. _Why am I kind to him? I barely know him._

"It's alright Ken-kun. You can have it."

"But, it's yours!" _Hm, very well then._

"Then you can return it the next time we meet," I chuckled at the look on his face. "It's fine, I have lots of those. My mom always gives me one," I said. "O-okay," he reluctantly agreed, muttering a protest under his breath. We sat in a comfortable silence for a little while, then I saw him point to the book at my side. "What's that?" he asked.

"A small ensee… ency… an encyclo…pedia, Dad said there are other bigger ones," I squirmed as I struggled to completely pronounce the word. "No fairy-tale?" He asked. "Nope, this has lots of different stuff in it," I said. He must be used to reading those kid-fairy tales that parents read to their children. "Really?" He asked and his face brightened. "Yeah", I replied and we read through some stuff together. He was really interested on the part with the solar system.

"Hey Mi-chan, isn't that Kami-sama is the maker of the world? How did he do it?"

"I… don't know. Well, we should find out!" I cheered. "There are lots of stories about that," I said as I stood up and brushed off myself. Good thing I remembered that Grandma will be done cooking soon. "I'm sorry Ken-kun. I have to go. My grandma will be done cooking soon and she doesn't really know I'm here, haha…" I trailed off while scratching the back of my head sheepishly.

"When we see each other again, let's talk 'bout those stories!" Ken-kun said with a small smile. I couldn't help but smile back at him. The way he smiled reminded me of someone.

"Sure," I said and held out my hand to help him stand up. He took it and we walked together to the entrance of the park. "Errm, see you then," I said and started walking before the situation got awkward again like before. But then I noticed that he was… following me? He must have noticed my expression when because he said, "My house is this way too." I muttered an 'oh' and fell in step with him.

We talked a few more times about random stuff until we stopped by a nice cozy-looking house.

"Wow. Your house is really near mine", I said.

"R-really?"

"Yeah, mine's just there," I pointed at my house, which is only a few steps away from where we were. "We could hang-out sometime," I said, already imagining how much fun we will have. _Whoa, slow down Mi-chan. But well, he's my first friend. Of course I'd be excited._ I turned to go on back to my house. Before I could go on, I felt something warm around my wrist. I looked up to see Ken-kun who seemed about to say something.

"I-it was nice to meet you, Mi-chan. And thanks," he mumbled. I smiled.

"It was nice to meet you too Ken-kun. Later~" I waved my hand and went home almost skipping my way back. I have a new friend. My first and only friend.

I was happy.

* * *

My bedroom ceiling blurred into my sight as I woke up.

"How weird," I said to myself. It was so random to dream about that day. _Not to mention I got scolded so much when I got back home then. _Groaning, I got off my bed and went over to the mirror. I haven't changed much since then. My hair went all the way down to my hips and still has its unusual snow-white color. I got teased a lot because of my hair. My classmates usually call me 'little obaa-chan' or something that involves my hair or height. My childish face isn't helping my case at all.

My wine-colored eyes stared back at me. _Tch. What are you looking at?_ It's just amusing how unnatural I look. I'm perfectly normal though. _Right_. Ignoring that thought, I went downstairs and took a shower. I jogged up back upstairs and changed into some casual clothes which consisted of a shirt, a hoodie, and dark jeans. I went downstairs again and found breakfast already at the table. Mom was putting away the kitchenware she used to prepare breakfast.

"Oh good, you're here. I thought I still have to drag you out of bed," she said, the corner of her lips tilting upward. "It's a miracle you're up. Excited for the first day of school huh? It seems just yesterday that my baby girl is just starting to attend middle school and now she's a first year in college." She sighed and I was just there staring dumbly at her.

"I dunno Mom. I guess I'm actually looking forward to school. Choosing a field of study gave me a stronger sense of direction in life, yeah," I shrugged and sat down. I waited for her to finish what she was doing before starting on the food.

"_Itadakimasu,"_ I said and started to eat. Mom and I chatted a little, but my mind flew off again. _Oh yeah. I'm going to see the guys again. And we're all going to the same university too. Things are just awesome. _Even though Ken-kun moved to a new house after his dad died, we managed to stay friends. Then he made another friend and introduced him to me. I call him Hide-chan to his face just to annoy him. _I'm such a good friend._

I looked at the time and almost spit out my food. My mom laughed at me. "Hn," I pouted and she just laughed harder. I quickly finished my food and grabbed my bag. "You got everything you need?" Mom asked. I nodded and ran to the door to wear my shoes.

"I'm going," I called out to her.

"Come back safely," she called back. I need to get to Kamii University as soon as possible.

After all, my two best friends and a whole new world awaits.

_To be continued…_

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**A/N:** Review, follow, or favorite if you like. :)


	2. The Limit of Happiness

Disclaimer: _I do not own Tokyo Ghoul._

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_**Mirror**_

**By TCNL**

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_**Chapter 2: The Limit of Happiness**_

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A few weeks later, after school, we were hanging out at this café called Anteiku.

"This place isn't so bad huh?" Hide-chan commented as he took a sip from his coffee. "True, I really like the atmosphere here", I flipped another page of the book I was reading. I heard Ken-kun chuckle and said, "Yeah. It's really nice to read here." Hide just sighed.

"I don't even know how I'm friends with you two", he said.

"I guess we're just that awesome", I countered. Ken-kun just shook his head at us. Suddenly he perked up and turned to me. "I just noticed, you haven't said anything much about your dad recently. Is everything okay?" He looked worried. _Damn it. I was hoping he wouldn't ask about that._ At his question, Hide-chan's attention closed in on us. I looked down at my lap, unsure how to start off with my answer.

"Well… As you guys know, he's working in America and um… he said he will soon get me there to continue my studies", I saw both their faces fell at that. "I don't like it and I think something is up. I mean, it's been a while since he went there. And now he wants to get me when I'm perfectly fine with studying at Kamii", I grumbled under my breath. Hide leaned closer and sighed. Ken-kun was silent.

I stared at my now neglected book on the table. _Damn it. Just when everything is fine._ I know. _And I don't like this mood between us three._

"Cheer up guys, if ever I'm really leaving, it's going to take a while. And I wanna make the most out of my life right now", I said and tried to smile a bit. _Well, that was some help._ I felt something warm around my hand. Looking up, I saw Ken-kun's solemn expression.

"We'll have to make it as memorable as much as we can, right?" He said with a gentle smile. I couldn't help but smile as I gripped his hand just a little bit. "Yeah, we should", I agreed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hide looking at us with a gleam in his eyes. Then he wiggled his brows.

"Heeey. I'm still here, you lovebirds", he said. Ken-kun and I flinched and we let our hands go. I felt heat flood up my face as I fiddled nervously with the book I brought with me. _Oh god. Oh god. That was – oh god._ I laughed lightly, trying to brush away what just happened.

"Don't s-say things like that, Hide!" I giggled at how Ken-kun protested and his face was alight with a blush across his cheeks. Hide snickered at us. "You two are blushing", he said and this time, he was really laughing. "You guys should just hook up already. I've been waiting for years for you two to happen. _Years_, I'm telling you!" I felt my face get hot again. I looked at Ken-kun and our gazes met. He laughed as he scratched the back of his head.

"Hide-_chan_, if you're done teasing us, you can go now", I said gesturing to the door.

"Aww, don't be mean Mi-chan", he whined. I raised a brow at him. "But don't you have work?" Ken-kun said and I amusedly watched Hide panic on gathering his stuff. "Mi-chan did you notice that Hide has been watching that waitress for a while now?" I tilted my head a little as if to ask, '_Oh really?' _and smiled. He nodded and he discreetly pointed at a girl with short navy blue hair. She was serving a table not too far from us.

"Not bad, Hide-_chan_. At least you picked someone decent", I teased him as he obviously stared at the girl. "Ehhh, I want to ask her name but I really got to go. I'm already late", he whined as he stood up. "You two keep that tension down and don't make out in public!" Ken-kun and I blushed heavily at what he said.

"Shut up, Hide-_chan_!" I grumbled, covering my face with my book.

"Idiot-Hide", Ken-kun said flipping through the pages of his own book furiously.

"You two take care!" He said and we waved at him as he left.

Silence fell at our table.

"Man, Hide is sometimes troublesome", I muttered.

"I know", Ken-kun said with a small smile on his face. "Hm? What's up?" I asked. His brows furrowed a little and he looked like he was thinking of something deep. _What's going on?_

"A-about what Hide said before…" He trailed off. Which one? Hide said things about different stuff. "Which one?" I blinked at him. He looked away, his face a little red. "Are you okay, Ken-kun? You're a little hot", I said and put my hand on his forehead.

"Um – what I meant was – no, no, I'm alright", he laughed a little and sheepishly scratched the back of his head. He continued, "It's just that Hide said something about waiting for us to… happen. And um… I was wondering i-if you'd like to come back here some time? J-just the two of us, I mean." I blinked at him. _Oh. Oh god he's asking you out. Say yes! Say yes, you dumb ass! Quit staring!_ That pulled me out of shock and I smiled. "I'd love to, Ken-kun", I replied and couldn't help but hug him tightly. I quickly pecked him on the cheek and returned to my book.

In the corner of my eye, I saw him smile and his eyes dance with mirth before returning to his book.

I was happy.

* * *

After two cups of coffee and a slice of cake, the two of us went home. He walked me to my house. I protested at first because that would be out of his way, since his apartment is a couple of streets closer to Anteiku. But he insisted.

"Thanks for walking me back."

"It's fine", he said and took my hands in his. I felt my face heat up.

"See you tomorrow at lunch", he leaned closer to me and I felt something warm right beside my lips. _Oh god. Why didn't he just kiss me on the lips – ugh!_ Shut up! _Hn, so he's going to be like that, huh?_ Revenge will be sweet. Taking a step forward, I leaned closer to him until there's only a thin sheet of air between our lips. I smirked and said, "Good night, Ken-kun."

I turned away, leaving him blinking in confusion. I opened the gate and went inside. Before I went inside the door, I smiled and waved him goodbye. I watched him amusedly because he was still in a shocked state – his face bright red and he only blinked at me while touching the lips I didn't kiss.

I closed the door and leaned heavily against it.

_Oh my god. Ken-kun asked me out. Oh YES I'm going to a date with Ken-kun!_ I giggled "I'm home", I called out – even though I knew no one else was home yet.

I broke out in happy laughter and skipped all the way to my room.

* * *

Mom arrived not too long after I did. I was helping her make some dinner. I told her about Ken-kun asking out. Surprisingly, she was happy about it. _I thought parents were supposed to point guns at the face of the boy who wants to date their daughter…_

Mom must have noticed my expression since she laughed and said, "I'm sure Rima-chan is happy. We've been wanting to see you fall together when you grew up." _Rima-san?_ Ah, Ken-kun's late mother. It was so hard for Ken-kun when she passed away. I just can't let him experience that again. He said that he can't remember his father much but losing his mother was twice the despair.

We were about to start cooking the food when we had a little problem. We were out of soy sauce and butter. My mom looked disturbed because she won't be able to complete today's dinner without frying the noodles in butter, instead of using some ordinary cooking oil. I find it amusing but I respect her for it. Her cooking after all, is the best I've had so far.

"I'll go buy some", I offered.

"Are you sure, Mi-chan? I can go myself", she said. I shook my head 'no'. It's already dark and I don't want Mom getting hurt or something. I ran to get my phone and stuffed it into my pocket. Mom handed me some money and I went to wear my shoes.

"I'll be back in a little bit", I called.

"Take care dear", she called back.

I stepped out of the house, the night air relaxing me as I walked towards the convenience store near our house. _It's actually nice to take a walk around the neighborhood at this time._ That's true. But the streets are scarce of people because of what they call 'ghouls'. _And it's a little late. I should hurry up._ I quickened my pace and crossed the street towards my destination.

I entered the store and got the stuff I need. I bought the large bottle of soy sauce so it'll be hard to miss if we ever need a new one. I walked back home feeling like I forgot something. _Never mind, I just want to go home and eat those fried noodles._ _Wait… fried? _Oh no. I forgot to buy some butter. _Damn it._ I groaned in protest as I went back to the convenience store.

_Was it just me or did I see someone crouching in that alleyway?_ I picked up my pace and crossed the street. _Oh god, nope. Nope. I'm not in the mood to get mugged. I'm hungry and tired. Nope._ But I don't have anything on me. Just a bottle of soy sauce. _Ugh. _Let's just get this over with already. Mom is going to fret if I'm not home soon.

Sighing, I went to the fridge and took a container of butter. The lady at the cashier politely smiled and asked, "Weren't you here just some minutes ago?" I blushed at what she said. "I kind of… forgot to buy that", I said as I pointed to the butter. She put the butter in the same bag with the soy sauce and gave me my change.

"Take care miss!" She said when I was at the door.

"You too!" I waved at her. _She's so friendly, it's refreshing._

I started walking back home again when I saw something… or someone follow tail me. I'm not usually this paranoid but one can never be always safe. My heart started to pound as I desperately tried to quicken my pace. With every step I take, the grocery bag seemed to get heavier in my right hand. I could almost see the corner of my street but I could also hear the footsteps behind me. I kept on walking briskly. _Almost there–_

"Eeek!" I felt an arm snake around my waist and a hand kept me from screaming. _It's a man. And I don't think he's after my money._ He started dragging me to my possible death place and I struggled against his grip, but nothing is working. He's insanely strong. He didn't even flinch when I kicked him hard or elbowed him in the ribs. He stopped dragging me when we were in the darkest part of a narrow alley.

"So… hungry…" he suddenly said. _Hungry? Hell no._ I turned my head to look at him my eyes widened when I saw his eyes change. The sclera turned pitch black and his pupils turned blood red. _What the hell is he? _Red veins strained from his eyelids. He's a ghoul then–

**SQUELCH.**

Pain exploded in my left shoulder. What I saw horrified me. He took a bite out of my shoulder. HE TOOK A BITE OUT OF MY SHOULDER!

"Nngh!" He dove down and tore flesh from my shoulder again. _Stop. Stop. Stop! STOP! _I could feel the wetness of my blood as it dripped down my front. _Let go. Let go. LET GO OF ME!_

I bit down on his hand as hard as I could.

Miraculously, his grip loosened and I stumbled out of his grip. I ignore the disgust I felt and spit out what I bit, I gripped my shoulder and ran out of the alley. _Move. Keep moving. Almost there. _I ran with what strength I have left. I was so desperate to get away from the ghoul when I came out of the alley that I wasn't able to look where I was going.

"_BEEEP–_"

_**BANG!**_

For a split-second, I was blinded by light. Then I felt weightless. I couldn't feel anything at all.

_Damn, I have one hell of a luck._

The weightless feeling started to disappear and was replaced by the feeling of being burned everywhere. It hurt. My chest hurts. My stomach hurts. My shoulder hurts. I heard frantic voices above me. I couldn't distinguish much anymore. My vision was beginning to darken.

Is this where I die?

_I was really looking forward to that date with Ken-kun._

I can feel myself fading.

_But Mom will be all alone if I die._

At least she isn't the one in this situation.

"Please…" I breathed out.

Then there was darkness.

_To be continued…_

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Author's note: Review, follow, or favorite if you like.


	3. After the Storm

Disclaimer: _I do not own Tokyo Ghoul._

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_**Mirror**_

**By TCNL**

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_**Chapter 3: After the Storm**_

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Fujiwara Kaede paced around the living room, her hands gripping her elbows.

Michiyo, the only daughter of Kaede and her husband, Sousuke, has not come back home. Kaede picked up her phone again and tried calling her daughter again. What could have happened for her to take so long in buying condiments from the convenience store? She sighed deeply as her phone beeped and flashed two words she was beginning to hate.

_No answer._

A few moments later, she heard a distant screeching of tires. And not too long after that, the wails of an ambulance and police echoed through the neighborhood.

Somehow, the bad feeling that was brought by her unanswered calls just became heavier.

She tried calling again and again. After an hour of unanswered calls, she tried one last time before she decided to go to the nearest police station. She was about to give up after a couple of rings, but her call was answered. She worriedly asked her whereabouts, her temper rising with every question.

"Mi-chan, where are you? What's taking you so long? It's already late and–"

"Are you the mother of Fujiwara Michiyo?" A man's voice cut her off. Kaede's brows furrowed. Why wasn't her daughter the one talking to her? "Yes, I am", she replied.

"I'm Professor Kanou. I'm a doctor here in Kanou General Hospital. I'm afraid your daughter is unconscious right now, but we managed to save her. Please come over as soon as possible. I think it is best that she wakes up to a familiar face", the doctor said.

"T-thank you. I will go there right away", before the doctor could reply, Kaede was already on her way out to the door.

* * *

Huh..?

_Where am I?_

Looking around, I realized I was alone. I squinted my eyes, it hurt to see with the lights glaring on me. I figured out I was in a hospital room judging by the bed I was on and the bland color of the ceiling. There was also this annoying oxygen mask on my face. _And a needle pricked in your right hand. _Ugh, I definitely don't like this. I can feel the needle resting _inside_ my skin.

I tried moving myself. Everything hurts, except for my limbs. What exactly happened?

_Why can't I remember..? _Damn it, why? Every time I try to recall something, it feels like there's a blank space in my head. I moved my hands in an effort to help myself to sit up. I flinched as I felt my left shoulder hurt.

"_So… Hungry…"_

"_Nngh!"_

_Move. Keep moving. Almost there._

"_BEEEP–"_

"…ra-san?"

"…you okay?"

"Fujiwara-san!"

I was breathing heavily when I was shook out of my memories. My head quickly turned to look at the person. _Oh it's a nurse._

"Fujiwara-san. It's certainly a surprise to see you awake. I'm Taguchi, your nurse", she explained with a polite smile. "O-oh. Um, thank you for shaking me out of my thoughts", I said. It does feel weird talking to someone while lying down, so I tried sitting up.

"N-no! You must not move so much yet, Fujiwara-san. You will re-open your stitches", she said in panic while gently pushing me back down the bed. _Stitches?_ How hard was I hit to need stitches? And where? She seemed to notice the questions that was surfacing and said, "You were hit by a speeding van, Fujiwara-san. Your attending doctor, Professor Kanou, did everything to save you."

I took a deep breath, which was a mistake. I started wheezing, and it was painful. Taguchi-san adjusted the hospital bed and helped me sit up. After the pain subsided to a more tolerable level, I asked, "How bad was it? I mean, my injuries, how bad were they?"

She hummed before she answered. "When they brought you in the emergency room, surprisingly you had no broken limbs, but you have several broken ribs and your sternum was cracked. Your digestive system was in the worst state. You were found beneath a lamp post, so we assumed that your torso took the hit and we did find that you were having severe hemorrhage", she paused. "Your organs were a mess, we were afraid that we won't be able to save you. But thankfully, we were able to and you pulled through", she finished and wrote something on the clipboard she was holding.

I grimaced, realizing that the pain I'm feeling came from my _several broken ribs, cracked sternum, _and apparently I also had surgery performed on my guts. I sighed. Mom will be a wreck if she sees me like this.

_MOM. Oh no she's probably going crazy worrying about me…_

"Taguchi-san? May I borrow a phone? I just need to talk to my mom", I asked since I don't see my phone anywhere on my person or in the room. "Oh, don't worry about that. Professor Kanou contacted your mother and she's on her way now", she said and put her pen down on her clipboard. "I'll be going now, Fujiwara-san. I'll check up on you from time to time, but for now, please rest", with that she smiled and turned to leave the room.

I sighed. _So much for buying soy sauce and butter._

So I was almost eaten. And I was hit by a _speeding_ van. Miraculously survived.

I sighed again.

I spent a few more seconds staring at nothing before falling back asleep.

* * *

I woke up to the sound of a beeping machine. I'm not sure how long I have been asleep, but I feel a lot better. My chest and stomach doesn't hurt that much anymore.

I looked to my side and what I saw surprised me.

"Ken-kun?"

"Mi-chan! You're awake!" He let go of the book he was reading then held my left hand. "I was so worried", he said. I noticed the look he had on his face. "I'm glad you're here", I said, trying to squeeze his hand with my feeble grip. I looked around, I saw his backpack on the ground and a couple of more things on the couch by the wall.

"How long have you been here, Ken-kun?" I asked. The dark circles under his eyes would have meant he was here for quite a while now.

"I came running last night. Kaede-san called and I luckily I was still awake. I just went home to grab my stuff for my classes, and my classes are done for today", he replied. _He's so sweet. But it's not good for his health_. "Ken-kun, you should've rested more", I said and felt myself smiling.

"Oh, where's Mom?" I asked. I figured that the other belongings on the couch were hers.

"She went to the cafeteria to eat. She's been here all night."

I sighed.

"Mi-chan… what exactly happened?" He asked. "Help me sit up, Ken-kun", I requested. After I was sitting up, I looked down at my lap. The events of last night came flooding back. _So it all happened just last night._

"I went to the convenience store to buy some stuff for last night's dinner. On my way back, a man grabbed me and ate off my shoulder–" I was cut off. "W-what? ATE your shoulder?" The disbelief in his face was clear. _He looks so adorable when he makes a face like that._ Shut up! Now's not the time for that, gee. I cleared my throat and continued, "Yes. I… was attacked by a _ghoul_. I tried to get away, running from the alley where he dragged me in. I ran out of that alley and ended up getting hit by a van. I was brought here and now I'm recovering." He had a pained expression on his face. I sighed.

"Don't worry Ken-kun, I'll get better", I said.

The door was opened and I saw my mom. "M-Mi-chan!" She squeaked and ran over to the bed. Ken-kun let go of my hand and sat on the couch. "I'm sorry Mi-chan! I should have insisted to go to the store myself", she cried as she hugged me. I groaned as I felt my injuries act up. "O-oh, sorry Mi-chan", she said and brushed my hair from my face. "It's fine Mom", I said and smiled to comfort her.

"I'm just really glad you're awake. Doctor Kanou said that you almost died last night. But he was able to save you. I was so worried!" Mom said, wiping the tears from her eyes. I saw Ken-kun look at me with an expression of, '_You didn't tell me that part.' _I shrugged, '_I'm fine now.'_ He sighed as he looked over my form on the bed, _'You're _not_ fine.' _I gave him one last look, _'We'll talk about this later.'_

"It's really kind of Ken-kun to watch over you, huh? I hope nothing _inappropriate_ happened while I was away", she said with a gleam in her eyes.

"M-Mom! You shouldn't say–"

**Growl.**

I blushed furiously as I looked down, trying to hide my face from the world. Mom and Ken-kun laughed.

As if on cue, someone knocked on the door and entered. Taguchi-san came in with some food. However, she was not alone. She arrived with a kind-looking aged man. The name 'Kanou' was on the left breast of his coat. He approached me and smiled a little.

"How are you feeling Fujiwara-san?" He asked.

"I-I feel much better, doctor. Thank you… for doing what you could to save me", I replied. _I kind of feel overwhelmed…_ "That's good. And it's no problem. It is my duty as a doctor after all. If you ever have any discomfort, please inform Taguchi-san and I'll attend to you immediately", he said and I nodded in agreement. "Well then, I have to visit my other patients. It's a pleasure to formally meet you, Fujiwara-san. Get well soon", he glanced at his watch.

"A pleasure to meet you too, doctor", I said. He looked me over before smiling and turned to leave the room. Taguchi-san set my meal on the table and said, "I'll come back after an hour to take this back and check up on you." "Thanks, Taguchi-san", I said and then she also left the room.

Much to my embarrassment, I needed help to eat. I took a bite.

_Urk. This thing is bland. _I suddenly missed Mom's cooking…

"Don't you like the soup Mi-chan?" Mom asked. Ken-kun looked up from his book.

"I-I do. It's just a little… bland", I said. Mom tried a spoonful and looked at me in surprise. "This is actually pretty good", she commented and ate another. _Oh… Maybe my taste will go back to normal when I fully recover._ I shrugged and continued to eat.

_Clack. Clack. Clack. _It was faint but I heard it.

Weird. Why was someone standing by the door?

* * *

I got better and better every day. Ken-kun visited me daily and even brought some books for me to read. I was thankful because it just gets really boring without anyone to talk to. After the second day of my hospitalization, Mom went back to work.

Ken-kun handed me a book that looked a little worn.

_Franz Kafka_

_Die Verwandlung_

"Thank you. I'd probably be dead staring at nothing if you didn't do this for me", I said and I poked his side. He yelped. I laughed and said, "The look on your face is priceless." He pouted adorably and pulled a chair beside my bed.

"I hope you'd get released soon. We still have to go to Anteiku together", he said as he gently squeezed my hand. "I know. Just a little bit more. I think I'll be released this weekend", I smiled a little at that. Being cooped up in this room is suffocating. And I can't even start on the food. _I swear it gets more and more tasteless every day._ Maybe it's an effect of the surgery, but I didn't complain about it.

We spent the next few hours reading. Ken-kun was reading something for his class while I read the book he gave me. We exchanged a couple of words about Kafka's work. The plot is actually interesting.

My phone – which was returned to me sometime earlier this week – rang. I looked at it. It was a message from mom, saying that she will be arriving in half an hour. I replied an, 'Okay.'

"Hide said he wanted to visit but he has work", Ken-kun suddenly said.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. But if you're free to go this weekend, we should eat at Big Girl he said it'll be his treat", he grinned at the thought. "Trying to get me fat right away, huh?" I chuckled. "But yeah, we should. I really miss those tasty burger patties", I said. I can almost smell its delicious aroma.

Ken-kun packed his stuff into his bag and turned to me.

"I'll come back tomorrow. I have to go and re-stock my fridge", he said. I frowned. "Don't go neglecting yourself, Ken-kun", I scolded him. "N-no, I'm not. Besides, I like seeing you every day", he said. My face burned at his words. _Smooth Kaneki Ken. Real smooth._ I laughed when I saw that he was a little red in the face.

"Take care then", I said and I put my phone on the table beside me. I heard his clothes rustle closer.

"You too", he bent down and–

I turned to look at him. But I felt something warm against my lips.

_Oh._

We stared at each other, our eyes wide with surprise.

_Don't just stare at him, you dumb ass! Kiss him back, idiot! _

"S-s-sorry! I-I, uh–" He stuttered. I cut off his apology by grabbing his jacket and kissed him full on the lips. I felt his hands wound around the back of my head, pulling me closer to him. Our lips danced together for a few moments, before I felt something wet brush against my lips. I gasped in surprise. He took the chance and stroked his tongue against mine. _Mnn, that feels… good… _I accidentally moaned. That was embarrassing but right now, I didn't care.

My moan probably encouraged him. We fought for dominance, his hands gripping my hair and I weaved my arms around his neck. In the end, he won and groaned against my mouth in victory while let him have his way. We continued to explore each other's mouth until we were in desperate need of air.

"K-Ken-kun…" I stuttered, still a little out of breath.

"…yeah?"

"Don't apologize for _that_", I giggled and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Y-yeah… I think I like it too much to apologize", he said. He gave me one chaste kiss before he closed the door behind him. I stared at where he stood before.

_Real smooth, Ken-kun. Real smooth._

_To be continued…_

* * *

Author's note: It's getting a little warm in here. Phew. Review, follow, or favorite if you like. ;)


	4. What Lies Inside

Disclaimer: _I do not own Tokyo Ghoul._

* * *

_**Mirror**_

**By TCNL**

* * *

_**Chapter 4: What Lies Inside**_

* * *

A few days later, I found myself walking home. I wanted to get some mild exercise. It's a pretty long walk but it didn't bother me. It was day time, and I am actually giddy that I was released today.

_But something is still wrong with me._

My sense of taste is still off. I dare say it got worse. Everything tasted flat. I compensated by drinking lots of water instead. Maybe it's a side effect of my medicine? _Hopefully it will subside_. I don't want to go back to the hospital so soon. I went on my way to the bookstore.

I opened my phone and sent my mom a message, saying that I've been released from the hospital. I sent a follow-up message telling her that I was at the bookstore and that I'll go home not long after. _She'll be upset that I might strain myself if I'm already walking around._

'_Hi Ken-kun. I am at the bookstore right now. I got released today. I think I'll drop by Anteiku before going home'. _I chuckled while pressing 'send'. _My message to him totally contradicts what I told Mom._ Looking at the shelf, I found a volume of _Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_. I must be lucky today. I immediately took it and paid by the counter. After that, I went straight to Anteiku.

The deliciously strong aroma of coffee greeted me as I entered the café, as well as other good scents. _I wonder… Do they have some sort of new coffee flavor?_ I went to a vacant table in the corner and sat down. I took out my newly-purchased book and set it on the table.

"Are you going to order now miss?"

I looked up and saw a girl with short navy blue hair. _Oh it's her, Hide-chan's interest._ I smiled a little before saying, "Yeah. A cup of coffee and a slice of cheesecake with chocolate syrup please." She nodded. "I'll be back in a bit with your order", she said while furiously writing on her note pad. I thanked her and went back to my book. I noticed that she was still there. I tilted my head curiously at her.

"E-excuse me!" She hurriedly went to the counter.

_Was there something on my face?_ I blinked in confusion. No use in worrying about it.

I continued to read.

Moments later, she came back with my coffee and cheesecake. I thanked her and started to a little sip from the cup. I sighed happily. Somehow, their coffee got better. I set down the cup and picked up the fork. Taking a bite from the cheesecake, I almost dropped my utensil.

It was like eating almost-dried paste.

_What the hell?_ It wasn't this bad before.

I pushed the cheesecake a little to the side then took a sip of the coffee. My phone buzzed. I opened it to see a message from Mom.

'_Don't take too long. You still need rest.'_

I saw another message. It was from Ken-kun.

'_Are you still at Anteiku? I can go there right now.'_

I raised my brow and replied a 'yes'. My phone buzzed right after. I read the message.

'_I'll be there in a few minutes. Hide's with me.'_

'Okay', I replied. I chuckled as I put the phone on the table and picked up my book again.

After reading a chapter and half of the next, I heard Hide's voice. I heard Ken-kun's muffled protests. Hide is teasing him again, huh? _Some things never change_. I looked around, expecting to see them by the door. But they were nowhere to be found.

_What? Am I hallucinating?_

I tried hearing them again, and I did. But this time, it was louder. A few seconds later, they finally came through the entrance. _So it was no hallucination. What was that?_

"Yo, Mi-chan!" Hide bounced toward the seat in front of me with Ken-kun right behind him.

"Hi Hide-_chan_, Ken-kun", I waved a little. I saw him twitch at the nickname. I snickered.

"Are you okay? What happened that night? I'm sorry I couldn't visit", he rambled while Ken-kun settled on a chair beside me. "It's fine Hide-chan", I said. His face suddenly became serious.

"Tell me everything Mi-chan", He said.

So I did.

"Damn. At least you're okay now. I can't deal with Kaneki sulking all week", he laughed when he said that. "I wasn't sulking–" Ken-kun was cut off by Hide. "I'm not used to _Mi-chan_ not being here with us. I hope _Mi-chan _is feeling better today. I can't go to the library, I still have to visit _Mi-chan_", Hide said with his worst impersonation of Ken-kun, his voice a couple of pitches off. The three of us laughed.

Hide and Ken-kun ordered their drinks.

"Mi-chan, is there something wrong?" Ken-kun asked out of nowhere. "Hm? Why do you ask?" I raised a brow at him. "You've been glaring at that cheesecake for some time now", Hide said. I looked down, feeling uneasy.

"It's just that… it doesn't taste good…" After saying that, Ken-kun took my fork and tasted the cheesecake himself. He slowly chewed it before swallowing. "It's delicious", he said. I frowned. _But it tasted bad to me._ "Don't worry so much, Mi-chan. You'll get better", Hide said. Ken-kun held my hand and gave it a squeeze.

I gave his hand a squeeze back.

_Hopefully._

* * *

A few days passed and my food intake worried mom a lot. Everything tasted icky and I have no idea what to do. The only thing I can tolerate is water and surprisingly, coffee. I usually hang-out with Ken-kun and Hide at Anteiku. I noticed that the staff there started giving me weird looks around two days ago. Especially the girl with short navy blue hair.

I hated how my appetite is going haywire.

I kept ignoring the twinge of discomfort in my stomach.

Ken-kun and Hide couldn't believe that I only ordered iced-coffee at Big Girl when he treated us to lunch. I nearly puked all over the table when I tried eating a slice of potato from Ken-kun's plate.

I couldn't join Mom in meals, or else I would ruin everything with my vomit. It would only make her worry more than she already is. It doesn't help that the things with Dad isn't going well too. I'm not sure what exactly is happening since Mom does not want to talk about it. I think I know what is wrong, but _I didn't want to be right_. She lost weight. Her face were marred with aging lines. If only I didn't have this problem, I would have encouraged her to eat more with me.

Mom wasn't home yet. The stillness of the air in the house was deafening.

And now…

My appetite problem peaked at its worst.

**GROWL.**

_I'm hungry..? _I could feel my stomach clench in pain. _I'm… hungry…_ I don't know if I wanted to cry or laugh. Abandoning my laptop on my bed, I ran downstairs to the kitchen. Ruffling through the fridge, I grabbed a sandwich Mom made just this morning. _I'm hungry. Finally. I can go eat some food now. I can hang-out with Ken-kun and Hide and eats lots of delicious food with them. I'll get Mom back in shape–_

"**BLEEAARGH!"**

I reeled forward on the sink and vomited the bite I had from the sandwich. I coughed out what was left of the disgusting taste inside my mouth. What is going on? But I thought I was going to be alright now. _Why? Why can't I be alright? Why do I have to be this way? People around me are suffering. I don't like it. I can't stand it._

I took the abandoned sandwich from the floor with a shaking hand. I put it in the trash and ran to the bathroom. I washed my face, trying to refresh myself. It only helped a little. The clawing feeling of discomfort was still there. I was still hungry. _What do I eat then?_ I took a deep breath. I need to calm down. I went back to the kitchen and cleaned up the mess I made.

I prepared myself some coffee and it made the hunger less painful. I sat there, still dumbfounded by the things that just happened.

I drank another cup.

Then another.

A pleasant aroma suddenly invaded my nose. I heard our gate open then click close. Then footsteps. The door opened and Mom came into view, holding a bag of goods.

"Welcome home, Mom. Something smells good. What did you buy?" I asked. _Maybe I can finally eat._

"Oh I'm home, dear. It's good to see you lively tonight. And food? No, I only bought a new curtain for our living room. Our curtain was getting old–" No. No. But I smell something. _No, this can't be. _I took a few steps towards mom. She said she… didn't buy any food… But why is the good smell still here. I set my gaze on mom.

_Sniff._

The scent of her perfume invaded my senses. Along with her scent. I remember that scent. Back when I was a kid, I'd tackle Mom and Dad when they arrive home after their work. _It smells so good. Just a little bite will– NO!_ I covered my nose and mouth with my hand and ran up to my room. I locked the door, leaning heavily against it. Shortly, I dropped to the ground, hugging my knees.

I did not just think of eating my mom.

_Why is this happening to me?_

I sniffed as tears flowed freely from my eyes.

_Somehow I became a ghoul. Somehow, my life fell apart in front of me and I just thought of killing my mom just to appease my hunger. _I can't stay here. Not when I'm like this. I can't.

I crawled over in front of my mirror. What I saw confirmed my suspicions.

I still have my wine-colored eyes. But my right eye was flooded with darkness, with the red eye in the middle, staring eerily back at me. Red veins strained from the corners of my right eye. _Only one. Does that mean… I'm a half-ghoul?_ Oh god. What am I going to do with myself? Does that mean I'll have to eat a human just to live? _Only a little bite from Mom will–_

**CRACK!**

I stared at my broken mirror. My knuckles didn't even hurt. The mirror reflected my unnatural appearance many times and seeing it made me have the urge to punch it to smithereens.

"Mi-chan? Are you okay? What happened?" I heard my mom's voice inquire from downstairs. The nagging delicious scent lingered around my nose.

"S-something just fell, Mom! I'll be fine", I replied.

_I'll be fine…_

* * *

I slung my backpack over my shoulders and crouched at the edge of my window. _What the hell am I doing?_ I looked back at my study table, making sure that the letter I left for mom was still there. I sighed and looked down. The jump from my window is only two floors high.

_If I'm really a ghoul or at least half… This wouldn't hurt._

I sprung from the ledge of my window onto the ground below.

**Thud.**

I wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. It felt exhilarating – almost like I was flying. But reality hit me hard. I'm not a human anymore. And I don't want to eat another person just to live. I have to get away. I can't bear the thought of hurting the people I hold close.

I cautiously looked at the windows.

_Good, Mom's already asleep._ After all, it's already 2 AM.

I silently walked towards our gate and looked. No one was around, so I quickly and rather unsteadily jumped over the gate. I still have a hard time moving around since I'm not used to such physical advantages. It also doesn't help that I'm still hungry.

Securing my hair in a tight bun, I pulled up my hoodie. I took my phone out, the screen showing the road map I looked up. It's going to be a troublesome way to _Shibuya-ku_.

* * *

The people in the upscale hotel lobby were shooting me suspicious looks. I don't blame them though. The sun hasn't risen up yet, and a girl that looks like a high school student comes in and books a room with the cheapest rate. It's not only them that were being uneasy. Their scents hit my nose hard, I could hardly walk without trembling from the effort of controlling myself not to eat them.

I quickly took my water jug and drank a few gulps.

Most of them inaudibly sighed and relaxed. I raised a brow while looking at the tip of my water bottle. _So they were either thinking I am a terrorist or a ghoul. _It amused me more than it should. Thanking the lady at the reception desk, I took my keys from her and went up to my room.

After setting my bag down, I removed my jacket and sat by the dresser. It has a huge mirror attached to the wall. I don't know why, but I'm taking this much more calmly than I expected. _Maybe it's because I have no more tears to cry_. Maybe.

"Time for some experimentation", I muttered.

I don't know how I did it but I managed to make my right eye ghoul-ish. I watched in fascination as I switched it back to my normal eye. _Holy crap. That's awesome… and creepy._ I watched as I willed my eye to become ghoul-ish again.

_I think I'm going insane._

My reflection smiled at me in the most unsettling way.

_To be continued…_

* * *

Author's note: Review, follow, or favorite if you like.


	5. Gecko in the Shadows

Disclaimer: _I do not own Tokyo Ghoul._

* * *

_**Mirror**_

**By TCNL**

* * *

_**Chapter 5: A Gecko in the Shadows**_

* * *

The noise made by my phone woke me up.

I groaned from my position and rolled over to grab it. I looked and saw I have **a lot** of missed calls. They're all mixed. Some are from Mom, some from Ken-kun, and a couple from Hide. There was also an unknown number. _Who could that be though?_ I just needed to get away. I needed a break from everything. And I have to stay away until I handle my situation… somehow.

Typing in an apology, I messaged the three most important people in my life. My dad probably knows, but he's too busy to be bothered. _And that's just sad_.

Shut up.

I grumbled under my breath. I sent another message to them saying that I just need a couple of days and I'll go back home. _Sigh._ Hopefully it will only be a couple of days.

**Ring!**

_Unknown caller._

I sat up and answered the call.

"Chiyo-chan? Kami-sama! Good thing you answered. Kaede has been so worried about you. Where are you?" The voice on the other end was frantic. Aunt… Akane? I braced myself to explain to her that she and Mom does not need to worry. "Auntie! I'm alright. Please tell Mom I just need a couple of days. I'm just fixing something", I said and waited for her response. "Chiyo-chan… You shouldn't make your mother worry so much", she said, her tone clearly scolding. _I didn't mean to Auntie. But I have to go away._

"I'm sorry, Auntie. But please, do tell her not to worry so much. I'll be back. I just need a break", I said. Before she could say anything else, I put down the call. I lied back down on the bed and put my arm over my eyes. Now I remember why I went here to Shibuya-ku. _I was hoping to drop by Auntie, since it has been a while since I last saw her._ But not anymore. She'll try to bring me back to Mom and that goes against my plans. _Or whatever I will have to do about myself._

I decided to take a bath. On my way to the tub, I saw myself on the mirror above the sink. I stared at my reflection for a bit and willed my eye to turn ghoul-ish. _It's going to be hard getting used to this._ Who said I will have to get used to this? I'd probably starve myself if I don't find a way to deal with my problem. _Who said that it's a problem?_ I stopped at that.

"Ha… Haha… I think I'm really losing it", I clutched at my head.

Sighing, I composed myself and proceeded to take a bath.

* * *

I spent the day in the hotel's dining area. The coffee there wasn't bad. I read a volume of _Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_ and started putting colors on the pages. The coffee distracted me from processing the scents of the people in the place. I still have no idea what to do.

Night came and it was almost time for me to leave the hotel. I didn't know why I have to leave, only a gut feeling. I pocketed my phone and some money and my room key. I walked out of the entrance and started to wander the area.

_Sniff._

A warm, welcoming aroma wafted through my senses. I had to wipe the drool from my mouth. I pulled up my hood and started to follow the smell. Several faces passed my vision, I didn't even notice how many streets I crossed and how many turns I took. I just found myself standing at the opening of a dark alley, my mouth watering at the scent that was burning through my hunger. _That smells so good. Just a bite, please. Please. Please._

Walking closer, I saw a tall man. His short light-colored hair reflecting the moonlight in a menacing way. He kicked the guy on the ground with such force that I heard the concrete behind him crack. I stared at the guy being beaten. He had something stuck in his mouth, probably a roll of cloth to prevent him from making noise. _Doesn't his face look just familiar?_ I gasped as I fully recognize his face.

This was the ghoul that tried to eat me… The reason why my life is in shambles right now.

I stared in satisfaction as the guy's ribs gave out in audible snaps, his mouth open in a silent scream. The man towering over him paused in his assault and stared at me. _He's a ghoul too._

_Oh no. He thinks you'll take his prey. He'll kill you. Run. RUN!_ My jaw shook as I stammered a broken apology and turned to run.

**SLAM.**

"Where do you think you're going?" The man asked, his hand gripping my neck rather painfully.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't m-mean to imply that I want to steal y-your p-prey", I gasped. He stared at me for a moment and then leaned closer. Oh no. I'm going to die. Maybe it's better, so that I won't hurt anybody. _It's not okay! You can have your revenge, it's right in front of you! THE THING THAT DESTROYED YOUR LIFE! REMEMBER YOUR PAIN!_ I stilled. I don't know what to do.

_Sniff, sniff._

He let me go and I stumbled to my feet.

"You smell weird. You better not run if you know what's good for you. What are you doing in these parts, girl?" He asked. _In these parts? What's in these parts?_

"Even ghouls are afraid of this place", he drawled. I was about to answer when he suddenly slammed his foot and a loud snap was heard. The ghoul on the ground wept his pain, unable to scream his pain. The man hit the back of the guy's neck with a force that knocked him out. He took out his phone and called someone.

"Pick me up. 13th ward. We're going back to the hideout", he said and put down the call. _What does he mean by 13__th__ ward? And hideout? Damn it. I just happened to stumble into a ghoul with a gang. _How do I always get myself into these situations?

"What's your name, girl?" He asked as he picked up the unconscious ghoul and started dragging him to the way I came from. I eyed him warily.

"Tch. If I wanted you dead, you'd be screaming right now and begging for me to end your life", he stared at me again. I looked down, holding the hem of my shorts nervously. "I'm Michiyo", I said. "Weird name for a weird-smelling girl", he commented with that lazy drawl in his voice. I twitched. _Weird smelling?_

"You can call me Yamori", he paused. "You're coming with me. I think I know what happened to you. The others have been watching that bastard. Turns out he already started with his shit", he kept on walking. _He knows what happened to me..? _I felt a smile creep onto my features. He can help me.

He can _help_ me.

"Wait for me, Yamori-san!"

* * *

The drive to the hideout was something I did not expect. The person driving the car was called 'Naki'. He calls Yamori-san 'Big Brother'. Yep. It's a gang. But hey, I got help _somehow_.

"Ne, ne, so you're my new nee-chan huh?" I could almost imagine Naki-san bouncing in his seat. _He's so happy. Is it normal for ghouls to be this giddy?_ I laughed lightly at the question in my head. "I guess, Naki-san", I replied. _It's either that or I die._

"Yeah! Hey, Big Bro, can I hang-out with her? Can I?" he peeked at Yamori-san's face. _Whoa, eyes on the road, buddy._ Just as I thought, the car swerved dangerously as we took a turn by a corner. "Not yet. I still have to teach her some things", Yamori-san said. I could see he was amused by Naki-san's antics.

"We're here, Big Bro!" Naki-san threw his hands up, as if celebrating. Naki-san parked the vehicle somewhere at the backside of our current location. He took the car keys and got out. I looked and saw that Yamori-san was already outside. I opened the door and stepped out myself. The area was… barren. The building we were at looks clearly abandoned. _That's the point of a hideout isn't it? A good cover means it's a good hideout_. I heard the car's trunk being shut.

Oh right. That guy. They freakin' put him in the trunk.

_Better that than have him beside me…_

And I can't stand how painful my stomach gets when I smell him. It just reminds me so much of what I have become. Although I wonder why I don't react that way around Naki-san and Yamori-san.

"Naki. Go check up on the others. I'll have a talk with the girl in my hobby room", Yamori-san said to Naki-san whose face openly expressed that he didn't want to go. _And hobby room? I think I better start running for my life. _Yamori-san gave a look to Naki-san.

"If you say so, Big Bro", he muttered. He looks like a kicked puppy. _Man, Yamori-san shouldn't have been that cruel to him._ "Come on, girl", he said and started to walk, dragging the unconscious ghoul with him. I sighed. What choice do I have?

He took me through a series of hallways and a few staircases. He stopped at a door with guards outside. They nodded their head as if in acknowledgement and left. Yamori-san opened the door and gestured for me to follow. I complied and looked up.

The ceiling was magnificent in structure. The place was practically a dome with reddish metal beams as support. The floor was decorated with black and white checkered tiles. The room was scarce in furniture except for the chair in the far side. Chains were hanging on its backrest and a table was beside it, with a white cloth covering the surface.

"Oi. Help me put this shit on the chair. Pull it in the middle of the room", he ordered and proceeded to drag the ghoul to the center. Unsure of what to think, I just followed and put the chair in the middle. "The table too. Put it here", he said while he fixed the ghoul on the chair. I did as I was told. My eyes widened in realization.

_He's going to torture the guy._

"Caught up just now? You need a faster train of thought if you want to survive", he said while taking the cloth from the table. There were various tools… I didn't even want to know what they are for. He took a syringe from his pocket and injected the guy. He then picked up the huge pliers and went for the guy's thumb. _Wait! No–_

"**AAAHHH!"** I flinched at his scream. Blood came pouring out from his flesh as Yamori-san discarded the nail. The blood looked pretty inviting. I felt my throat dry up and I forced myself to swallow what was in my mouth.

"You haven't eaten for a while now, huh? Your _kakugan_ is showing", he broke me off my thoughts. I quickly took my phone and used it to look at my face. Just as he said, my right eye was ghoul-ish. So a ghoul's manifestation in the eyes is called a 'kakugan'. _I'm hungry…_

"Why… are you being nice to me?" I asked, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. Yamori-san turned to me and put down the pliers.

"I guess you could say I saw something in you that I like", he said. That was way too vague. "Come on, don't be shy. Are you going to eat him or what?" he gestured to the ghoul who was gasping in pain. "N-no! I mean, isn't that cannibalism?" I stammered. His laugh boomed through the room. "It will make you_ stronger_. And what does that matter? I did see that you recognized him somehow", he said.

"He's… the one who tried to eat me." I continued, "I managed to run out of the alley he dragged me in and got hit by a van in the process." His laugh echoed against the walls. "So that's how you got your _kakuhou_", he said. I stared at him in confusion.

"Listen, girl. The only one capable of this", he gestured at me, "kind of work is Kanou Akihiro." _D-doctor Kanou?_ "But he–" I was cut off. "Nah, whatever shit he showed you, it's all lies. Aogiri, our organization, is after him for creating other half-ghouls some-time back", he said. He sounded so carefree about it though.

"Listen up and listen well. I'm going to teach you the things you need to know **and **give you my toy. Just this once", he said as he walked towards me. I took a step back.

"B-but I don't want to, I mean–"

"You **will** learn to adapt and entertain me or you're going to die", He towered over me as I shook.

"I'll teach you how to fight. Use your _kagune_. I'll drive you to your limit. _Do not disappoint me_", he said as he put on a… hockey mask?

_Shit._

I think I saw my life flash before my eyes.

_To be continued…_

* * *

Author's note: I love how Mi-chan's life is akin to a rollercoaster. ...*cough*. Review, follow, or favorite if you like. :D


	6. Springtime of Blood

Disclaimer: _I do not own Tokyo Ghoul._

* * *

_**Mirror**_

**By TCNL**

* * *

_**Chapter 6: Springtime of Blood**_

* * *

He rushed at me with a speed I didn't expect. All I could do was try to avoid his hits.

"Is that all you can do?" He asked and charged at me again. _Damn it. I can't even have time to think of a way out._ _I don't even think I can do anything!_ My frantic thoughts got me flying to the wall with pain flaring in my side.

"Dodging will not save you, girl", he said as he started sauntering towards me. I grunted in pain, staggering to my feet. However, he just stood there, as if waiting for something. I bent my knees a little, ready to spring myself from incoming danger. What happened next was something unexpected and I wasn't able to react.

Two spiked _tentacles_ sprouted from his back. I stared in fear as it extended and pierced through my stomach. I felt myself being lifted up in the air.

"Entertain me", he drawled as he threw me across the room, narrowly missing the now-unconscious ghoul chained to the chair. I gasped at the pain wracking my body, tears blurring my sight. I was bleeding heavily from the wounds I got from his assault. _How could I even fight him?_ Blood started to pain the tiles beneath me. I struggled to pull myself up thinking, '_I can't just give up. Some people are waiting for me to come back.'_

"**GAH!" **_When did he get right in front of me? _Run!

He stared down cruelly at me as I felt his _kagune_, pull out from the hole in my gut. But how do I use my kagune? I'm not even sure if I have one!

**STAB. **Something fell to the floor.

_It hurts. It hurts. Please stop._

"Well? I told you not to disappoint me." He pulled forward his right arm and cracked his knuckles using his thumb. He had a crazed look in his eyes.

**STAB. **I could only stare in morbid fascination as I saw a scrap of my skin fall to the floor in bloody mess.

**STAB. **I don't know how to fight back!

_Am I going to die here? It's… pathetic._

**STAB. **I coughed out mouthfuls of blood. _Why can't I even fight back? _I don't really have the heart to hurt anyone. _And now it's going to get you killed. Or worse, be in the same position of that ghoul in the middle of the room._

"I expected much more fun from you", he said and poised to make another strike. It will probably be the last. "Don't worry, this is far from over", I heard him say. I guess not. I'm done for. I won't be able to see them again… Time seemed to slow down when he started to move his kagune.

_NO!_

I stared open-mouthed in surprise at what seemed like four wide blood-red _ribbons_, holding off Yamori-san's kagune. What the hell is that? _Stop thinking about that and RUN! _I hastily stumbled and leapt to the other side of the room.

Weird. Why are the ribbons following me?

"Now we're talking!" Yamori-san said as he slowly approach me. I shuddered when I saw the shadow of bloodlust in his eyes as he cracked his knuckles. It only registered in my mind then. _I'm using my kagune! _It felt liberating, like having… four extra limbs. _He's coming again! Move!_

I used my new limbs to fly me off the floor as I dodged a strike from Yamori-san. Having these is actually an edge. I parried another incoming hit.

Gasping for breath, I steadied myself, readying for another incoming attack.

_It's time to fight back. Maybe he'll stop when he sees what he wants to see._

His kagune came zooming in to my left side. I blocked. _NOW!_

I made a slash at his torso. Blood flew in the air. He looked at me with surprise, but it quickly changed into manic glee. _Shit, I forgot the other one. _The other part of his kagune hit me square in my right side, shredding through my clothes and into my skin. I hit the wall with a loud thud.

"Y-you wounded me…" He said. Oh no. But he said that I use my kagune! And I did! _Things are going to get worse it seems. _Damn it, what to do? I wouldn't last long. I'm still hungry. And the fact that I am bruised and bleeding everywhere is not helping.

"**HAHAHA! YES! **Who knew that a fresh one-eyed ghoul like you can make **me** bleed? **I NEED TO SEE MORE!" **Yamori-san said. This is really bad. _He did say he'll drive you to your limit. Maybe you can do more. _Maybe.

I felt something itch in the upper part of my back. I squirmed, trying to ease the discomfort that I was feeling. Yamori-san was on the move again, attacking more furiously. I grunted in effort to hold off his attacks. I glanced over my shoulder, noticing that the itching became worse, and so did my hunger.

I resisted the urge to scratch it.

"Something the matter, girl? **ENTERTAIN ME!**" He laughed hysterically and continued his attacks. While he persisted, I was weakening. I was starting to feel lightheaded, and the itch became a burning sensation.

"Ugh…" I groaned. Yamori-san's kagune was on its way to hitting me again.

_**RIP!**_I felt the formation of another set of limbs at my back. _What the hell…_

I looked up and saw two huge overlapping kakugan, encasing me. It was like two huge eyes looking at me from both sides. I twitched and felt the pressure of Yamori-san's kagune, trying to break through my shield.

"PLEASE, STOP!" I screamed. I was so frustrated. I used my new kagune to fling him off to the far side of the room. He laid sprawled on the ground, like a starfish, not moving at all. _Shit. Oh no. Did I kill him? No, no…_

"Well, well, look at what we have here", he said as he sat up, propping his arm over his knee. Oh good, he's not dead. _Are you nuts? He was trying to kill you for quite a while now!_ He took off his mask and set it down on the floor. "I'm satisfied, girl. You fucking wounded me. It's been a while", he said, retracting his kagune back to his body.

"A fresh one-eyed ghoul with two kagune. Tch. And you landed a hit on me, when you're starving. An achievement, girl. You have my respect", he stared at me.

_It's… over?_

I was still in a daze. It's over. I took a look at myself. On my back, mid-waist, was where I saw my ribbon-like kagune sprouting from. And on my shoulder blades, was where my wing-like kagune was coming from. I was fascinated.

I stretched them out as far as I could and stared. They're really huge. I could almost see myself flying with these. They had the sharp-edged oval shape of eyes, with matching red pupil-like markings in the center. Red veins are rooted from the 'eye'. The rest of the parts were glistening, pitch black.

They really did look like a ghoul's eyes. Kakugan.

_Huh? _

I felt a weight on top of my head. I glanced up and saw Yamori-san giving me a somewhat affectionate pat on the head. He went to the ghoul and went on removing the other nails. The screams didn't even bother me, I was too drained to care. I could feel my energy slipping away and my hunger made my stomach hurt so much. My throat burned.

Something landed in a heap in front of me.

"Eat", a voice said.

The enticing scent flooded my senses again. I was so dizzy and lightheaded that I didn't notice that I was already crawling towards…

_He destroyed your life. Take it back slowly, chew him thoroughly._

Leaning down, I took a bite from the flesh. Why am I doing this? I never knew something so disgusting tastes so good.

Hunger clenched on my stomach in an intensity that made me want to keel over and die.

My vision went red and my mind went blank.

* * *

"Nngh…" Light from above flooded my eyes.

_What the hell happened? I was fighting Yamori-san…_

I shook my head, remembering nothing after that. The memory of the fight itself is hazy. I looked down at myself and scrunched my nose in disgust. Even though it's dark, I could see that my clothes were more or less tattered. Splatters of dried blood clung to my clothes and skin. It looked like I went through hell and back again. _Maybe I did. _

Where the hell am I?_ Judging from the light, it seems that I'm in a tunnel of some sort. _I took a step back to get a better view of the place.

**Squelch.**

_Eh? _I looked down and almost screamed.

I accidentally stepped on a _finger_. I jumped and removed my foot from it. Dozens of corpses were around me. Or whatever is left of them. I stared, horrified at the scene that I was seeing. All that was left of the dead people were miniscule strands of flesh that hung limply from the cracked and broken bones. The stench of spoiled food lingered in the air. _What's going on…?_

Something is wrong. Realization dawned on me.

_I'm not… hungry…_

I want to be happy, but seeing all the dead bodies around me means only one thing.

Crashing on my knees, I cried and wailed until I couldn't anymore.

_What have I done?_

* * *

Somehow, I made my way back to my hotel room. I used my kagune to lift myself in the air and land myself into the swimming pool at the penthouse suite of the hotel. _Good thing they have a pool. Because if they didn't, I will be asked too much questions._

I dove into the deepest part of the pool and stayed there for a little bit, just until the grime was dissolved into the water. I slowly went to the surface and looked around. Nobody was near, and I took it as a cue to fly off into a shady-looking alley. I was partially dry when I arrived at the entrance of the hotel and went up to my room.

I lied on the bed while thinking back on what happened. _Those corpses weren't human._ The remains of their kagune were proof. I jumped up and looked for my phone. Thankfully, it was in my bag. Seeing that it was dead, I plugged it in to charge its battery. When it turned on, I opened it and saw an enormous amount of missed calls and text messages.

Abruptly sitting up, I looked at the date on my phone.

_A week and one day. Eight days._

They probably think I'm dead. Oh god. I need to hurry back home.

I quickly sent messages to Mom, Ken-kun, and Hide.

I cleaned myself thoroughly, taking advantage of everything that was provided in the room. After changing into the set of clothes I brought with me, I gathered all of my stuff, checked out of the hotel, and went on my way home.

* * *

It was almost midnight when I arrived at my house. During the day, I exchanged short messages with the three people I care about. I even sent a message to Aunt Akane that I was going home.

I was surprised to see that the lights were still on. Mom is already usually asleep. I jumped over our gate and walked to the door. The neighbors couldn't probably hear it, but I heard Mom sobbing. Then she was half-shouting. I picked up a small noise which seems to come from the phone.

I recognize that voice. _Dad. _What could they be fighting about?

I decided to eavesdrop.

_"How could you? You only want to get her there so that it will lighten your guilt!" _She paused and her breathing became heavier. _"You left us here to die while you go fooling around with another woman! You said that you'll work for our future, not make_ **another** _family!" _I could almost see her shaking in anger.

I stilled.

Another… family?

_Ah yes. You know, the reason why he doesn't come home for how many years._ I looked at the ground. I had suspicions, but I didn't want to be right. I've had classmates who had a parent work in another country that comes back every now and then to visit. _But Dad didn't even visit. Not once._

I clenched my fists. But why? Why couldn't he have just come out with it and spare Mom all the pain? _I'll talk to Dad about this soon._

I waited for the call to end, which took a couple of minutes. I drowned out the argument and stared off into space. _How could all of this happen to me?_ I sighed. I waited a few more minutes before I opened the door. I can't have Mom worrying about me more, if she knew that I knew about the situation with Dad.

"I'm home", I softly called out.

In less than five seconds, I was tackled by my mom who was crying with joy and sadness.

"My baby girl. My baby girl is home", she cried into my hair. Tears spilled out of my eyes and I hugged her tight. "Yeah. I'm back", I said.

"What were you thinking? What was your problem that you had to leave for a week?" She asked, her voice rising at the end. "Just some issues, Mom. I'll be fine now. I sorted things out with myself", I replied, _I'll be fine for a couple of weeks_. I shook my head and turned to her.

"Come on, Mom. It's very late. Let's get some sleep."

She gave me a look that said, 'are you kidding me?'

"We'll talk in the morning", I amended.

The look of protest didn't leave her eyes, but she nodded. She fussed over me, making sure I was okay. She gave me another tight hug before we both went to our own rooms.

I felt queasy. It was just last week that I was thinking of eating my own mother.

_I fought Yamori-san and succumbed to my hunger._

Somehow, I landed myself in an underground cove with a lot of ghouls. I don't know how I got there, but I did. I did something that even if I don't remember, it will haunt me for the rest of my life.

_Monster. _

Brushing away those thoughts, I surrendered to the comfort of my own bed.

_To be continued…_

* * *

Author's note: That was pretty intense. Review, follow, or favorite if you like. :D


	7. Home Again

Disclaimer: _I do not own Tokyo Ghoul._

* * *

_**Mirror**_

**By TCNL**

* * *

_**Chapter 7: Home Again**_

* * *

I was on my way to Anteiku when I was lost in my thoughts again. It was good that I'm not hungry anymore. After I… ate, the smell of people's meat is still enticing. The same with other ghouls. But there was no urge to eat them. It's like, they are just there, nothing else. And I still can't believe that I ate all those ghouls, wherever that was.

I'm a monster. A cannibal, even.

_So you finally admit._

No… I'll never do that again.

I sighed and walked at a faster pace. Not long after, I was already by the street my destination was in. I realized something else entirely. The café's staff are actually _ghouls_. That's why they were giving me looks. I smell strange to them, since I'm not exactly a normal ghoul as Yamori-san said. _But that doesn't explain why you get extra lovin' glares from the navy blue-haired girl_. I don't know either.

My heart thudded against my chest as I neared the café. I was almost at the door when I noticed two familiar figures by the entrance.

"Mi-chan!" Two voices squeaked as they both tackled me into a group hug.

I felt tears well up in my eyes.

"Hi guys", I said while trying to keep my emotions in check.

"You worried us so much", Hide said as he ruffled my hair – which I spent half an hour trying to make it presentable.

"Don't you ever do that again!" We both reeled in shock as we looked at Ken-kun. _I've done it. He rarely raises his voice like that. _I looked at the concrete below, trying to hide myself. "I'm sorry Ken-kun. I had problems, and I couldn't stay–" I was cut off when I felt his warmth around me. "I thought you left me forever. Like Mom and Dad did…" My heart squeezed painfully at his words.

_No, please… I never meant to do that._

It was either I leave, or hurt you in a way I'll never be able to live with.

"I'm sorry…" I said and hugged him tighter. I couldn't find any more words to say why I was gone. I couldn't tell them. I will keep this burden, if it meant protecting them from myself.

I stilled when I felt Ken-kun nuzzle his face in my neck. "K-Ken-kun? We're in public", I protested and I knew that my face is already as red as a ripe tomato. "I really missed you", he murmured while burying his face in my neck, as if trying to memorize my scent.

"_Cough cough." _

We jumped and let go of each other at the sound of Hide's voice.

"You guys are cute, but man, you need a room and get it over with already!" He said, laughing. I'm pretty sure my head would have exploded already of embarrassment if it was possible. He turned and grabbed my hand and entered the coffee shop. I took Ken-kun's hand who was still a little red. "D-don't say things like that, Hide!" He protested weakly. I laughed along with Hide as we made our way to a table.

As expected, the staff stared at me. And the girl with short hair too. It was hard to keep myself from squirming when she scrutinized me while taking our orders. Soon, she went on her way – but not without one last glance at me. _Did I do something wrong?_ I inwardly whimpered.

I raised a brow when Hide started to write on a page from his notebook. He pushed the paper towards me.

_Don't look anywhere else when you read the next sentence._

_The girl with purple hair, sitting at a table not far from us, has been watching Kaneki._

_It's been going on for three days._

I frowned. What's up with that?

Hide took the paper back and wrote again.

_I think she's trying to __seduce__ Kaneki._

_It seems that she really likes him, but I'm not entirely sure._

_It's weird yo._

"Uh…" I honestly didn't know how to respond to that. I rolled my eyes at his antics. _Really, he had to underline that word._ He snatched the paper and hastily wrote something before pushing it back to me.

_But we all know that he's only got the hots for you. ;)_

I hit Hide on the shoulder playfully. I sniffed the air, and my eyes widened. That girl… _She's a ghoul._ What could she want with Kaneki? Tch, if she's looking for food in Ken-kun, she will have to kill me first. Something else caught my nose. _That's unmistakably the scent of blood._ Something's not right. The scent lingering on her is a wave of different tinges. It was of numerous people.

"What are you two going on about?" Ken-kun asked as he set down the book he was reading. Before he could say anything else, Hide shoved the paper in his direction.

"Oh that", he muttered. He squirmed in his seat, then leaned back and sighed. We chatted a little of what happened in the past few weeks while I was gone. We avoided the topic about the purple-haired girl. I turned to the television which was broadcasting something that piqued my interest.

_"…there are fears of an 'eater' attacking the city of Tokyo… but what are they actually like? Today we will ask Dr. Ogura, a researcher who studies 'eater' types."_

"Heh, that's a sketchy-looking old guy", Hide commented. "Yeah, the moustache kind of ruined his look", I added. Ken-kun looked incredulous, looking at us with a judging stare. I gave him a look.

_You know it's true._

He shook his head, but I saw the corners of his mouth tilt upward.

"Scary… The Takada building's pretty close here", Hide said, catching my attention. "What's with the Takada building?" I asked. "The news said that a guy's corpse was found there. Evidences say that it was done by a ghoul", he replied. _Could the ghoul the news is talking about be…?_

"You'd be eaten up in a second, Kaneki, a scrawny kid like you who's always reading incomprehensible books. Mi-chan's cool though. She got away but she's just as scrawny as you", Hide said and laid his head on the table.

"W-what do you mean, incomprehensible..?"

"O-oi!" Hide chuckled at our reactions.

"Hide, if you would just pick up a book, you might get it", Ken-kun said, taking a sip from his coffee. "It's no use, I'd fall asleep right after five seconds", Hide said. "Anyways, I've been thinking. I've never once seen a 'ghoul'. But according to what Mi-chan told us, anyone could be a ghoul. Wouldn't they be just monsters in the shape of a man?" With that, Ken-kun started to draw something at the back of the notebook page Hide used earlier. Hide grabbed another page and started drawing too.

_Monsters, huh… _I felt sick, but tried to brush the feeling away.

"Something like this", Ken-kun showed us his drawing. It was wonderfully detailed… and looks almost like a monster that you can find in the Final Fantasy series. _He looks cute with that determined expression_. Argh! I looked away before they could see my face flaring up.

"I did one too, Kaneki", Hide said and I laughed when I saw his doodle. Ken-kun just hummed in annoyance.

"Maa, let's talk about something besides ghouls… Say Kaneki, did you follow the advice I gave you?" Hide had this mischievous look on his face.

"Ack! _Not now, Hide_", Ken-kun almost choked on his drink and hissed. Hide laughed and turned to me. "So… You two did anything yet?" He waggled his brows at me. _Did anything yet? What?_ I tilted my head in confusion.

"You didn't? Aw, man, I was hoping Kaneki here would have the guts to use this", he poked his tongue out and pointed at it. My eyes widened in realization. Oh that. _Oh THAT. I think I'm going to pass out,_ I thought as tried to cover my flaming face.

I planted my face on the table, groaning in embarrassment.

I could hear Ken-kun frantically flipping the pages of his book as he tried to distract himself. Hide laughed boisterously and gave Ken-kun a hard pat on the back.

"I knew you had it in you!"

"D-don't say things like that, Hide!"

I laughed at their antics. I heard a voice call out.

"For the table in the back…" _Oh it's her._ Ken-kun and I shared a look. Yup, Hide is definitely _sparkling_. He raised his hand and said, "Excuse me!"

"Yes?" She asked, walking over to our table.

_Sparkle, sparkle._

"Can I order? I'll have a cappuccino. How 'bout you guys?" He looked us over. "I-I'm fine, I still haven't finished", Ken-kun said and returned to his book. _I could use another cup._ "An espresso for me please", I said. While she was writing, Hide spoke up.

"Oh excuse me, what might your name be?" He asked. The girl blinked and answered, "Kirishima Touka–" _Finally, I can stop calling her in descriptive._

"Kirishima-san, do you have a boyfriend?" Hide asked, standing up excitedly from his seat and clasping both of Kirishima-san's hands.

"Err, um, I-I don't!" She squeaked and ran away to the coffee bar.

"How lovely…" He said under his breath while staring after Kirishima-san.

…_really Hide? You crept her out!_

"Hide, why you– Stop that, idiot!"

"Hide-_chan_, it would really suck if we get kicked out of here. This place is nice y'know", I said, tilting my head to the side dangerously.

"C-calm down guys, haha…"

* * *

Two days passed.

I loathed myself. And I still do.

I looked up all the information I could find about ghouls.

The ghoul rumored to be attacking Tokyo hasn't stopped its killing spree.

And I still don't know what to do with the fact that I know about Doctor Kanou's sick joke. He somehow got some ghoul innards and put them in me when they were performing surgery on me. Doctor Kanou seemed like a normal human, so how?

I'm unsure on how to act if I ever see him again. _I was an experiment. _If I by chance he finds out I'm a half-ghoul now, he'll probably make up a reason to check-up on me. I bet he's the kind of person that's a monster beneath a kind façade. And if I show that his experiment failed, he'll probably lose interest in a _failure _and leave me alone_._

I sighed and trailed off into another thought.

Much to my Mom's dismay, I didn't go back to school. I was thinking of attending the term after this one. Too much has happened and, I don't know, but I feel like I'm still in a haze where I am just watching everything happen.

My new 'eating' habits bothered her too. I guess it would bother any normal human being. I stuck around for breakfast to goad Mom into eating more while I drank three or more cups of coffee. She disapproved, but I said that I'll get something to eat when I am hungry.

I tried keeping myself busy, search for a part-time work to help Mom pay the bills. The situation with Dad keeps on getting worse. I don't know how to deal with it. For two nights, I could hear her desperately trying to get in contact with Dad. I heard the arguments over the phone calls. It always ends up with Mom crying herself to sleep. I tried to open up the problem, but she got mad and told me that it was between her and Dad only.

She told me that I don't need to worry about it – that it will be fine.

_Somehow, I don't believe that._

* * *

So… I'm still on the hunt on finding a part-time job.

I warily entered Anteiku. Even though the place has a nice atmosphere, I do know that the staff is watching me closely. I occupied a table and was approached by none other than Kirishima-san.

"Are you going to order now?" She asked.

"Yes, an espresso for me please", I said. "Oh and um, is there any available work here in Anteiku? I was hoping to find a job here", I said with a small polite smile on my face. I noticed that she stopped writing on her note pad.

She glared hard at me. _W-what?_

"No, we're not looking for new employees right now", she curtly said and turned away from me, leaving me to stare at her in confusion. _Just why does she dislike me so much?_ I guess I'll look for a job somewhere else then. _I also wouldn't want to work in a place where someone hates my guts…_

I sighed and opened the book that I had with me. This is the first time I've been this sad here in Anteiku.

* * *

I trekked to the bookstore that Ken-kun and I usually go to – it is located near the train station. I still have some cash from my savings, having a new book won't hurt my wallet much. The door chimed and I was greeted by the smell of newly printed pages. I approached the elderly man at the counter and went down straight to business.

"Hello Ginrei-san, do you happen to have a job available here?" I asked. He looked up from the newspaper in his hands and turned to me.

"Nice of you to come by, Chiyo-san. Actually, I do need help in tidying up around this place", he said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Really?" I asked, clapping my hands together. He laughed, "Yes, yes. Takatsuki-san is going to have a book signing here, three weeks from now. And I'd like to have someone mind the store for me. These old bones are getting weary", he explained. But wait.

"Takatsuki-san? Takatsuki Sen?" I asked. _Ken-kun is going to like this. _"And I would like to have the job Ginrei-san, if you'll have me", I quickly added.

He chuckled. "You are one enthusiastic child, Chiyo-san. Is it okay if you start tomorrow?

I nodded. "Sure thing, Ginrei-san."

"Go ahead and look around. New volumes of what you youngsters read came in today", he said, waving me off. I skipped my way to the shelves.

I can see my eyes sparkle like Hide's did. Why wouldn't I be happy? I got a job. I could help Mom somehow.

And another plus, Ken-kun would love to have his books signed.

_To be continued…_

* * *

Author's note: Review, follow, or favorite if you like.


	8. Gone with Despair

Disclaimer: _I do not own Tokyo Ghoul._

* * *

_**Mirror**_

**By TCNL**

* * *

_**Chapter 8: Gone with Despair**_

* * *

"I'm going, Mom", I said.

"Take care, dear. Come back home safely", she called out. I put on my shoes and went out the door. It has been a couple of days since I started working at Ginrei-san's bookstore. He was always so considerate. He'd let me go every time that Ken-kun hangs out at Anteiku. I heard him mutter 'a_h young love'_ under his breath when I rushed out of the shop, blushing.

I've been paranoid about Ken-kun's safety. It didn't help my worry that every time we are at Anteiku, that girl with purple hair is also there. Ken-kun tried not to squirm under her stare. I held his hand and tried to comfort him. Hide was adamant that she was stalking Ken-kun.

The second time we hung out at Anteiku this week, Ken-kun was squirming yet again in his seat while Hide and I were chatting about the news. I saw that the purple-haired girl was staring at him again. I tilted my head and glared at her, looking as threatening as possible. Satisfyingly, she looked at me in shock.

But then she returned the glare with a challenge.

Since then, I've started to become more and more wary of her. I couldn't tell Ken-kun or Hide that she's a ghoul, I'm sure that they'll ask how I know.

I then went on my way to work.

The door chimed as it open.

I looked up, surprised, seeing Hide walk in.

"Oh hey, Hide-chan", I greeted and he twitched at the nickname. _Some things don't change._

"Yo, Mi-chan", he said, waving at me. I raised a brow. "What brings you here?" I asked. He looked offended for a second. "Aw, can't I just visit you?" I raised my brow higher. "Don't be mean, Mi-chan", he pouted. I laughed at his expression.

"I just wanted to drop by. It's my day off at work. I figured that I could try one of those things you bury your noses into", he said as he started walking around the shelves. I chuckled and went over to him. "You could try these mystery novels. You're intuitive. I want to see how long it takes you to figure out the story", I said, handing him a stack of three books.

"O-okay", he said, surprise in his face.

I went back to the counter and tended to his transaction.

"...Mi-chan? Are you sure you're okay now?" I almost dropped the books, his question catching me off guard. _I… can't really lie to Hide. _I sighed deeply. I'm not okay. After a while, when I become hungry again, I'll definitely don't know what to do. I can't go back to Yamori-san, he practically baited me to eat the ghoul he caught.

_Or maybe I can._

I still have no clear recollection of what happened after fighting Yamori-san and before waking up. I'm aware of what I have done, _but what exactly happened? _I need to find out.

"Oi, Mi-chan! Snap out of it", Hide shook my shoulders.

"I-I'm sorry, Hide. And no, I'm not okay. But I'll deal with it, so don't worry", I said, trying to smile at him to hold back the tears that just wanted to burst forth. He suddenly ruffled my hair.

"H-hey!" I protested. He stopped and snickered.

"I'll be going now, puffball. Take care of yourself", he waved and left.

I pouted.

"Who's a puffball…" I muttered as I tried to fix my hair.

* * *

"Is there anything else you need to be lifted, Ginrei-san?" I called out. We just finished unpacking some boxes that contained new copies of Takatsuki Sen's works. One could say we're preparing for her book signing.

"Everything's good, Chiyo-san. You be careful out there", he said.

"Okay, good night Ginrei-san", I said and went on my way home.

I walked at a relaxed pace. Seeing that I'm not exactly normal now, I know that I can defend myself from muggers. After a few minutes, I was already at my street.

_Sniff, sniff._

The strong scent of blood invaded my nose. I kept walking towards my house and the scent only became stronger and something was thrown with it. I couldn't think of anything else. I ran to our door and into the house. I put my bag down by the entrance. The smell of blood was suffocating.

What greeted me was a ruined kitchen, blood was everywhere.

"Mom…?"

I flicked the lights on.

I heard the sound of chewing.

Then there was purple hair. And a pair of kakugan.

What caught my attention was where she was reaching out and took something.

**"MOM!"** I turned to _her_. She smirked, licking her fingers before taking a bite from the non-beating organ.

_No. No. No. Mom. Why? She could have just went after me. Why? Why?_

I clutched my head. _This can't be happening._

I couldn't look directly at what or _who_ was sprawled on the table.

**Drip. Drip. Drip.**

No.

T-that's not Mom. She's somewhere upstairs, resting. Yeah. She–

"She screamed wonderfully when I came up behind her." _Huh?_

"It was pathetic. She called '_Mi-chan' _repeatedly. But not anymore." She chuckled.

"Her meat to fat ratio is like eating a holiday treat. She struggled so much, though. Thought she could run away from me."

Shut up.

Shut up. Mom's alright. She's–

_Look, you idiot! Mom is gone! GONE!_

Shut up! S-she can't leave me alone… No…

"**AAAHHH!"** I cried out, tears were already falling down long before I noticed.

"You shouldn't get in the way of me and my prey. I hope you learned your lesson", she said eyes gleamed as she looked down on me.

_**How dare she… after taking Mom away… You'll pay. **_I clenched my fists hard. My kakugan pulsed in my right eye.

"**You… filth…"** I said, flaring out my rinkaku kagune. I hit her before she could even blink, sinking my kagune in her abdomen. I used my other kagune strand to strangle and lift her off the ground. Her eyes widened in shock as she couldn't seem to break free. _How could someone so weak take someone so precious from me?_

"Heh… what's the matter, filth?" I grinned at the look of panic in her face. Something came at me, which I parried off with my other rinkaku strands, but one got through and struck me in the gut. It doesn't even hurt.

"Went after my mother? Why not me? She had nothing to do with this. But I guess a pathetic girl like you wouldn't understand", I seethed as I tightened my grip around her throat. _Of course she wouldn't understand. She's the 'binge eater' that plagues Tokyo with her serial _meals_. _Humans are easily disposable in her eyes.

"What shall I do with you? Hand you over to the ghoul investigators?" I pondered. She didn't react. _You __**know**__ what would hurt a ghoul the most. The 'binge eater' huh? _

"I'll _fucking_ hand you over to the ghoul detention center. And I will make sure they starve you." _Yes, yes. Make her suffer. She took Mom away._

I don't care anymore.

I gripped her neck tighter and stared in satisfaction as she squirmed in an effort to escape. I twisted the strand I put in her stomach. I felt something pulse with power. _Her… Kakuhou?_ "Haha…" _I want to tear it apart._

_**SHHLK!**_

"S-stop! Not that! Gah!" She coughed out mouthfuls of blood. I made sure that I sliced through her little power sac. She gasped and I saw her kagune flick unsteadily.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw it move from my stomach.

"No!" I screamed as I watched the furniture turn over, along with the bloody mess on top of it.

I accidentally lost my grip on her as I rushed to the table, falling on my knees. She fell on her backside, breathing heavily. Blood was splattered all over her clothes and some were dripping from her mouth. Her eyes stared back at me, tinted with _fear_..?

I blinked.

What am I doing? _Killing her, of course._

But wouldn't that make me just the same as her?

_No, she took Mom away. She had no right. I was only protecting them._

I couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

_Mom…_

A thud and a pained gasp was all I heard before she was gone.

I crawled over to Mom and put her head on my lap. The woman that cared for me since the day I was born. She always prioritized me over herself. She was always tired, but smiled through it all because she didn't want me to see her suffering. _For my sake._

And now she laid in a heap of what was left of her. I averted my eyes from her torso. Her eyes were dry and opened wide in a horrified expression. I shakily reached over and closed them.

I'm sorry, Mom._ It hurts_.

I'm sorry you didn't grow old with Dad and spent the last of your days with him._ It hurts so much._

I'm sorry. I brought this on to you._ I know you don't like it when I cry, but what else can I do when you're gone so suddenly? _

I'm sorry that you have such a useless daughter…

"Please… Mom… I'm sorry…"

* * *

I cried for what seemed like an eternity. I just felt numb and drained. I gently put Mom's head from my lap and I stood up, walking to the entrance of our house. I rummaged through my bag and got my phone. With still-shaking hands, I called the only person that I could talk to right now.

"…_Mi-chan? It's late. What's up?"_

"K-Ken-kun… Mom… ghoul… h-help…" _I need you._ I couldn't even talk without sobbing, a new onslaught of tears spilling from my eyes.

"W-what? Wait, I'll go there right now", the call ended.

A few minutes later, Ken-kun burst through our door. He was trying to catch his breath but he reeled and covered his mouth in an effort to stop… vomiting? I tilted my head to look at him. _Oh yeah, I left the kitchen lights on. Blood splattered on the floor, stove, fridge, and the toppled table–_

The kitchen.

Where mom was_ killed. _Because of me.

"M-Mi-chan? Are you okay? That's a lot of blood! Kaede-san? She–", he stuttered.

Looking at his worried face, my vision blurred. "Ken-kun…" I sobbed as I hugged him. I felt him squeeze back. "I-is that… K-Kaede-san…" I could only nod. "The ghoul? Where is it?" He asked, frantically looking around. I shook my head. "Gone. M-mom w-was gone when I got here. The ghoul went away", I mumbled into his shoulder.

"Did you see..?" I could only nod. I heard him sniffle then he hugged me tighter. "Come on, Mi-chan. W-we have to tell the police", he said as he pulled out his phone and called the police, his hands shaking.

My mind blanked out. I could vaguely remember Ken-kun taking my bag and helping me to stand. I know I was asked a few questions, but they stopped. There was a short car ride. I felt myself being lifted up then set down. The warmth surrounding me suddenly disappeared.

_No, don't go._

"I'll be back, Mi-chan. I'll get something to clean you up with." _Ken-kun..? _Oh. We're at his apartment.

I can't fully comprehend what just happened a few hours ago. It felt like I was drifting through everything. Mom is gone. She's gone. _Never coming back._

The door creaked and I looked up to see Ken-kun with a towel. He sat beside me and started to wipe my face. He suddenly hugged me. "I'm here, Mi-chan", he said as he nuzzled his face into my neck. I laid my head on his shoulder and clung to him. "Thank you, Ken-kun…"

I managed to change into the clothes that I borrowed from him and I sat on the bed. Ken-kun put down my bag at my feet. "If you need anything, just call me", he said. "W-wait, where are you going?" I asked. _Don't leave me alone._ "U-uh you'll take the bed and I'll sleep on the couch?" He said. "But we can fit…" I looked at my feet.

"I-I mean, yeah w-we can, but I'm a g-grown man–" I weakly rolled my eyes at his protest.

"Stay with me Ken-kun… please", I said as I patted the space beside me. He sighed.

"If you say so… Uh, don't, um, kick me in my sleep", he said. _Huh?_

"Why would I?" I asked. He gave me a look that said, 'really?'

"The last time we shared a bed, you kicked me, Mi-chan. And I woke up on the floor", he said, scratching the back of his head. Oh. That time.

"But that was ages ago, Ken-kun. We were kids", I poked his side. He yelped.

"Fine, but you better not regret this tomorrow", he agreed and went to get a book from his shelf. I took my phone and went under the covers.

I tilted my head in confusion. "Why would I regret this?" I asked.

I saw his cheeks glow red. "Huh?"

"N-nothing, nothing at all, Mi-chan! So uh, move over", he said as he turned on the lamp and dimmed the room. I scooted and felt him lie down beside me. I turned on my side and stared up at him. He looked at me, a book in his hand.

"W-what?" _He looks so adorable._ My thoughts then turned serious.

"Thank you, Ken-kun. I wouldn't know what to do without you", I said. I leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. Before he could see me crying again, I laid my head on his chest.

I felt warmth on my forehead.

"It's no problem, Mi-chan. I'm here", I heard him say. Feeling myself suddenly very tired, I tugged myself closer to him before darkness took me away.

_To be continued…_

* * *

Author's note: Dang. Review, follow, or favorite if you like.


	9. Cheap Strike

Disclaimer: _I do not own Tokyo Ghoul._

* * *

_**Mirror**_

**By TCNL**

* * *

_**Chapter 9: Cheap Strike**_

* * *

The next day came like a trap of nightmare.

Vivid dreams plagued my sleep. A knotted rope of tragedy kept strangling me, reminding me that somehow in a month or so, I lost almost everything I hold dear.

I sighed. _It's like anything's hardly worth smiling for._ But not really.

"Mi-chan? Breakfast's ready", Ken-kun said, his head peeking from the door.

"Thanks, I'll be there in a bit", I tried to smile. He nodded before going. I sluggishly got up and went to the bathroom to refresh myself before going to where he was waiting.

The aroma of coffee and newly cooked human food flowed through my senses. Ken-kun put down two cups of coffee on the table. I sat down, taking a sip, and sighed in contentment.

_Mom's gone…_

I quickly wiped my eyes.

"Mi-chan? What–"

"Ken-kun. Don't go to Anteiku for a while", I interjected. He frowned. "Is this about that girl?" He asked as he sat down and started eating. "W-well, yeah. She…" I didn't know how to say it.

"You're mine, right?" He put his chopsticks down. "And I'm yours. I won't do that to you, Mi-chan", he said, looking intently at me. _H-huh? How did this conversation..?_

_Oh._

He thinks I'm jealous. But I'm not. _Mhmm. You get all protective aside from the reason that girl is only looking for food. _Shut up! Of course I'd be protective. She eyes Ken-kun like he is some piece of meat. _Well technically… he is a piece of meat. A very cute piece of meat. _

Shut up!

_And he called me __**his**__._ I stared at my bowl. I'm sure I'm very, _very_ red. At least he said it.

"But if that will ease your mind, then I won't", he added. He then continued his breakfast.

I took a sip from my coffee and wrapped my fingers around the cup, feeling its warmth. I felt myself smile.

I'm not entirely sure how our conversation turned out like this…

_But I'm not complaining._

* * *

Mom had a nice funeral.

Only a few people went. My grandparents and Aunt Akane were there. And of course, Ken-kun and Hide attended too. But Dad… He didn't even call back.

I sighed and fixed Mom's picture on the small shrine I made for her.

I could hardly believe that our kitchen could be this clean again. Just a few days back, this place was… Shaking my head, I turned away and went to our door.

Ken-kun offered to let me stay with him until I can take it to live in the house again. I accepted his offer and have been living with him since. Hide wouldn't let up on teasing us about 'doing the deed', as he says in English. Or whatever that really means.

I sighed and went on my way to work. Opening my phone, I messaged Ken-kun that I'll be at the bookstore.

What happened at work was… weird.

A lady with soft sea-green hair was browsing through the shelves. She was humming a tune under her breath while she was reading the back of an open copy. Our gazes met and she smiled.

_Uh…_

I awkwardly smiled back. Do I know her? She looks familiar.

"Hi. I'd like to buy this", she put the book down on the counter.

_The Black Goat's Egg._

"Here you go. Have a nice day", I said as I gave her the change.

"Oh, one second", she proceeded to open the packaging of the book and flipped it open. Taking a pen from her pocket she started to sign it. She closed the book and handed it to me. "This is for you. Think of it as a present", she said.

"Uh…" I took the book from her hands and opened it. _Takatsuki Sen._

"T-Takatsuki Sen?" I gasped and looked at her. She laughed heartedly and extended her arm. "It's nice to meet you. Takatsuki Sen at your service", she said with a jovial tone. "I-it's nice to meet you too, Takatsuki-san. I-I'm Fujiwara Michiyo", I said and shook her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, but I have to go. I'm late~ I hope to see you again soon", she said and skipped to the door. I could only wave at her in a daze as she made her way out of the store.

Hm? I swear I heard her say, "Just like as he said…"

Or maybe not.

_And 'I hope to see you again'? _Oh right. The upcoming book signing.

I looked at the book in my hands.

I didn't even get the chance to thank her.

* * *

Ginrei-san needed some help in re-arranging the shelves. Instead of him hiring men to do it, I offered to help him. A sort of perk of being a half-ghoul. I already told Ken-kun that I'll be a little late today.

_Wait for me._

_I'll come pick you up._

Smiling, I shelved the remaining books from the small pile on the floor.

_Wow._ The store looked like a whole new place. Instead of the shelves arranged in vertical rows, I placed them against the wall and left only two shelves in the center of the floor. It looked much spacious and breathable.

_Much better._ I dusted off my hands. Grabbing the broom, I swept the dirt that accumulated around the store. After disposing, I cleaned up the things I used into the storeroom.

"Wow, Chiyo-san", I voice spoke up.

"Oh good evening, Ginrei-san", I smiled in greeting.

"T-this is wonderful!" He cried as he started going around the shelves. "How did you do it? It's like I'm not in my own bookstore anymore!" His eyes danced with mirth as he rounded the shelves in the center. "I-it's nothing, Ginrei-san", I laughed, trying to conceal my embarrassment at his indirect praise. "I should give you a bonus, Chiyo-san!"

"No need, Ginrei-san. It's my job after all", I said. He frowned in protest but I held up my hands.

"It's fine, I promise. I had fun sorting out the store, and that's more than enough", I went to the counter and fixed my stuff. "You can go rest now, Ginrei-san. I'm going to wait for Ken-kun, so I'll just lock the doors myself."

"…alright. Still, thank you for tidying up this place. You made an old man happy today", he said and gave me a pat on the shoulder. I smiled and said, "No problem, Ginrei-san. Good night."

"Good night, Chiyo-san. See you tomorrow, and thanks", he said as he went upstairs.

I typed in a message in my phone.

_I'm done here, Ken-kun. :)_

Not too long after, I received a reply.

_Okay. On my way, Mi-chan._

I closed my phone and stood up to turn off some of the lights. I left the entrance illuminated. Taking my earphones, I started to listen to some songs. I took out _The Black Goat's Egg _that I received from Takatsuki-san and started to flip the pages. I already lost myself into the story after five minutes of reading.

_**Bzzt.**_

I snapped out of reading and looked at my phone. It was a message from Ken-kun.

_I got some coffee for you._

Smiling to myself, I quickly replied.

_You didn't have to, but thanks._

He's so sweet. _I wanna hug him. _And probably pinch his cheeks too. I was still smiling like an idiot before returning to my book.

I yawned. _Wait… what?_

…

_Where's Ken-kun?_

I panicked and looked at the time. I quickly checked the place and locked the doors. _Where is Ken-kun? He should have been here a couple of minutes ago._ I went outside and looked around. The amount of people on the streets were considerably less than the amount I saw before I sat down and read.

**Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt. **I looked at my phone.

_Incoming call: Kaneki Ken_

"Hello? Ken-kun? Wha–" I was cut off by a pained scream and a thud. "K-Ken-kun? What's happening? Are you okay?" I frantically asked. No doubt he's in danger.

_SHIT!_

It's her! That ghoul!

"M-Mi-chan! I'm–" _Beep. Beep. Beep._

I slung my bag over my shoulders and made my way through the street. _Concentrate. _I closed my eyes and deeply breathed in.

_There it is._

The familiar scent of Ken-kun mingled with the smell of blood. I took off running. Blindly following my nose, I found myself going to the direction of a construction site. Letting my kakugan show, I leapt over to the place where the scent was strongest.

I looked down.

Ken-kun was sitting against the wall, blood pouring from his stomach. Purple hair swayed with the breeze.

"Ken-kun!" I screamed. He slowly turned his head to look. _He's losing consciousness!_ I landed in front of him protectively. Holding him close to me, I flared out my rinkaku kagune and fended off the incoming strike from the ghoul.

_TOO CLOSE!_

I panicked and used my other strands to push her away. She stumbled on her step and–

A shadow loomed over.

**BANG!**

I jumped at the loudness of the sound and I covered Ken-kun and myself with my koukaku kagune. After a second, a strong metallic smell stained the air. _What the hell…_

"_Why… you… Nngh…"_

Retracting both my kagune, I gasped when I saw that the ghoul was buried beneath thick metal beams. A burst of blood was beneath her body. I breathed a sigh of relief.

_Did all these really just happen? _I lost Mom. And just a while ago, I almost lost Ken-kun.

_If only I didn't agree to him on picking me up._

I sobbed into his shoulder.

"Hey did you just hear a huge noise?"

"Huh?"

The sound of numerous footsteps echoed through the place.

"Look under that metal beam… Is that a person?" A voice exclaimed.

"AAH! Get an ambulance!"

Ken-kun was getting far and far away from me. "W-what?" I turned my head and briefly saw a clown mask before there was nothing.

* * *

"…an!" _Who's that?_

"...-ke up!" _Ugh, stop yelling, my head hurts. I wanna go back to sleep._

"_Nee-chan_, wake up! _Wake up_!" The voice whined. _Wait, 'nee-chan'?_

Abruptly, I sat up and–

"Oww!"

"Ouch!"

Clutching my head and whimpering in pain, I turned my head to look at the offending person who was rousing me from my sleep.

"Ow… Nee-chan! You're awake!" _Naki-san._

"N-Naki-san?" He grinned at me and nodded. "Hai, Nee-chan! I was worried that you wouldn't wake up", he said as he continued to smile like a kid getting Halloween treats. "How… What exactly happened?" I asked. "I found you in an alley near the place we first met! You weren't awake so I figured to bring you to Big Bro", he explained. _Yamori-san? _I felt a weight drop down in my stomach.

"Oh and Big Bro said that I should give this to you", he said and took a piece of paper from his pocket. I looked down raised my brow. A cellphone number was written on it. "Uh, Naki-san? Whose number is this?" He looked startled for a second before snatching the paper and quickly scribbled on it. "It's Big Bro's number. He said you might need it soon", He said before giving it back to me.

_Why would I need it?_

Reality hit me like a ton of bricks and I stood straight up from the bed I was on. "N-Nee-chan?" Naki-san said, his face showing confusion. "Naki-san, thank you for everything. I'll remember to pay you back for keeping me safe", I said as I rushed out the place, my bag hanging off a strand of my rinkaku kagune. His sounds of surprise diminished as I climbed up to the nearest wall and flew off into the sky.

* * *

Things slowly started to sink in my head. The clown-ghoul-guy or whoever that was, his intention was to have me killed off. _He freakin' dropped me off at the 13__th__ ward! _I was really, _really_ lucky that it was Naki-san who found me.

It was almost three in the morning when I arrived at Nerima-ku, or also known as the 20th ward.

I remember that somebody was screaming about calling an ambulance. _To Kanou General Hospital it is. _Shit. If Ken-kun was there, there's a possibility that…

_No, no, no. Don't finish that thought._

I landed in a dark alley, a few streets from the hospital. Retracting both my kagune, I picked up my bag and went straight to the nurse, asking for Ken-kun's room number. Before she could finish what she was saying, I was already down the hall.

_Please, not him._

I opened the door and quietly stepped into the room. He looked so fragile. The bags under his eyes and his pale complexion just emphasized the stress he went through. His arms and face were free of the scratches that were there when I found him.

"Ungh…"

A single kakugan looked up at me.

"M… M-Mi-chan…?"

"Y-you're okay, Ken-kun. You're o-okay", I squeezed his hand gently. He must have tried to squeeze back, but it only came out as a twitch. "Sleep. I-I'll be here when you wake up", I said, brushing his hair from his face.

I didn't realize that I was crying even before he called my name.

_To be continued…_

* * *

Author's note: Review, follow, or favorite if you like. :)


	10. Veil of Truth

Disclaimer: _I do not own Tokyo Ghoul._

* * *

_**Mirror**_

**By TCNL**

* * *

_**Chapter 10: Veil of Truth**_

* * *

_That bastard Kanou! We weren't enoug__h for his experiments! _My blood was boiling by the time I was walking back to Ken-kun's room. I went back to his apartment to freshen up and get him something more to read. I tried to calm myself down.

It's kind of a blessing that he couldn't remember that I was there before he was brought to the hospital.

I saw him walking by the hallway and waved at him.

"Ken-kun! I brought some books for you", I said as I walked over to him.

"Thanks, Mi-chan", he said. I fell in step with him.

"So… why are you out of your room, hm?" And underlying message of 'you shouldn't have done that' laced my tone. He scratched his cheek and laughed sheepishly. "I-I just wanted to walk around. It was suffocating in the room", he said. My expression softened. "I understand that feeling. It feels like it was only yesterday that I am the one hospitalized", I laughed at the end. However, he looked at the ground.

"I guess that this is all real", he said. "I... Yeah. A lot has been… happening lately", I responded, unsure of my words.

I haven't told him that I'm not… human anymore. Sooner or later he'll notice. He hasn't complained of being hungry and I guess he will also require food soon. I felt sick to my stomach just thinking of how much he has to go through. Knowing him, he'll probably starve himself to death. _Just like I would._

"I'll be back in a minute", he said, startling me out of my thoughts. _Oh he's going to the bathroom._

"Okay", I nodded and sat down on the nearest chair. The next days are going to be hell. I just know it.

* * *

The days went by as Ken-kun recovered. I was mostly at work then at the hospital at night. But today he's going to be released. I was waiting for Ken-kun to finish his last _check-up_ with Doctor Kanou before he was allowed to leave. '_Check-up' my ass. That bastard is just seeing if his experiment amounted to something._ I seethed, gripping my can of coffee.

"Mi-chan! Let's go!"

I was dragged to the entrance by one happy Ken-kun. Being cooped up in a room for a while really is unnerving. I smiled. His phone suddenly rang and we stopped walking.

"Huh… Hide wants to treat us to lunch at Big Girl, as congrats on my release", he said. _Hm?_ But… He'll be sick if he eat food there. _How to fix this…_

"Let's just go to Anteiku. We haven't been there for a while", I said. He seemed to consider it before fiddling with his phone. "Okay, let's go there. I told Hide that we'll be there", he said as he took my hand.

"Hmm. I can already see Hide's pout", I said and we both chuckled.

Not long after, I can already smell the enticing aroma of coffee. We occupied a table and was approached by none other Kirishima-san. We ordered 2 cups of espresso. I kept my attitude towards her as indifferent.

I still don't know why she's bent on disliking me, but this time, she glared at Ken-kun too. My eyes widened in realization. _She doesn't like half-ghouls. But why?_

She came back with our drinks and curtly left after doing so. I saw the surprise in Ken-kun's face as he took a sip. He smiled a little and drank more.

"Kaneki! Mi-chan!" a voice exclaimed from the doorway.

As expected, he was pouting.

"Aww, man! It's like I'm interrupting your date! We should've gone to Big Girl", he complained as he sat beside Ken-kun. "Yeah right, Hide-_chan_. We can't have Ken-kun's stomach upset with the sudden large intake of food", I said, giving him a hard look. He raised up both his hands in defeat.

"Fiiine. And Ken-kun, stop looking at Mi-chan like you're gonna eat her any moment", he replied. I jokingly hit his shoulder. But when I looked at Ken-kun, he was quickly wiping drool from the corner of his mouth. I looked down.

I could feel the blood rushing to my face.

_I'm totally having mixed feelings right now. He either wants to __**eat**__ me, or eat __**eat **__me._

"S-shut up, Hide-chan!" I planted my palm on his face.

"D-Don't say things like that, Hide!" He protested. Hide laughed at our faces.

"So, start talking you two", he urged before getting a sandwich for himself.

* * *

_**Sniff.**_

Hm? I turned and saw Ken-kun looking at me. I tilted my head a little.

"Ken-kun? Is something wrong?" I asked.

"H-huh? Oh, no, it's nothing", he replied. _But he was clearly staring…_

"…_food feels uncomfortable for them. Salad tastes unripe, and meat and fish taste disgusting, it seems. In front of people, they may be able to eat it and endure it, but after eating, they are struck with a powerful urge to vomit."_

I flipped another page on the book I was reading. I tried to act as nonchalantly as possible to what I was hearing from the television. However, in the corner of my eye, I saw Ken-kun's petrified expression as he watched the wacko-looking ghoul researcher.

He lied down on his side.

**GROWL.**

_E-eh?_

"I'm hungry?" I heard him mumble. _Shit. Oh no. Shit. What do I do?_

"T-there's a lot of food in the fridge, Ken-kun…" I said but he was out the door before I finished talking.

I put down my book after I heard a crash in the kitchen.

Then there was the sound of vomiting.

"Ken-kun?" I exclaimed. I held his arm before he could take a bite from the apple. "Don't force it", I said.

"I-I… I'm hungry, Mi-chan", he said, clutching his stomach. "Everything tastes disgusting. I don't know what to eat", he was almost hysterical. _He already has an idea then._

_I'm sorry Ken-kun. I couldn't protect you._

"I'm going to try look for some food for you", I said. I rushed to get my phone and some money, just in case. _I have to do something. I have to save him from hating himself – before he does something he won't be able to forgive himself with. _Like I did.

Something pulled back my wrist.

"M-Mi-chan? I'll go with you", he said.

"It's fine, Ken-kun. I'll make it fast", I insisted.

"I won't let you go alone!"

I turned to look at him. _Damn it, Ken-kun._

"Fine", I said and we both trekked through the street.

We walked in silence, until his hunger made itself known again. I grimaced. _He must be really struggling now._ I furiously pressed keys on my phone.

_Yamori-san, do you know where I can eat without having to hunt?_

I frowned at my wording. I sent the message anyway. My phone buzzed before I put it away.

_No idea, girl. You're too soft._

Well. That was so much help. What do I do now?

I didn't notice that Ken-kun stopped walking. I was about to go to him when something grabbed me and pinned me to the wall.

The stench of alcohol and sweat burned through my nose.

"You're showing a lot of leg. Why don't you come with me?" The pervert's breath fanned my face, and I wanted to vomit then and there. I glanced down at my attire. I was wearing a shirt under my jacket, and my shorts weren't tight at all. It was modest, not revealing! _Stupid pervert._

"Let me go, or I'll have to hurt you", I said. I noticed Ken-kun walking towards us. _Stop! _He might not be able to stop himself from killing this guy at this rate.

"Huh? What are you looking at?"

Ken-kun was staring hard at me. _I think he… really wants to eat me. _I'm still having mixed feelings about this. It was only by choice after all that ghouls don't cannibalize other ghouls.

"Hey, you… you!" The pervert turned to face Ken-kun. I ran from the pervert and stuck myself a step behind Ken-kun.

"Don't ignore me… Don't–" He grabbed Ken-kun's hoodie. Oh no.

"**DON'T TOUCH ME!" **He glared at the pervert.

"What's with your eye? Disgusting! Get outta here, YOU MONSTER!" _Ken-kun's kakugan is showing._

"C-come on, Ken-kun, we have to go", I mumbled as I tugged at his arm. He didn't move. _Don't let his words get to you. I won't let you become a monster._

Out of nowhere, the pervert's head was sliced in half.

"**You piss me off."**

"_K-Kirishima-san?"_

"Aw man, I killed him. And I wasn't even really hungry", she said, scratching the back of her head nonchalantly. "Maybe I'll just take an arm. Old man meat's gross though", she took hold of the pervert's limb and tore it.

We just stared at her dumbly. I could feel Ken-kun's stomach grumble. _This is the first time I actually saw a ghoul kill a human._

"What? Do you two want some?" She asked. We stared more.

"So, do you want this or not?" _I don't… know… NO! I said I'd never…_

"You're not gonna eat?" She approached us. "Hey, only one of your eyes is red. That's kinda weird. Wait…" She reeled back in surprise. "You… two… You're both alive! So Rize… but your eye", she paused, looking at Ken-kun.

"Uh", he stuttered. He looked at me, his face sporting a frantic expression. I looked back, his kakugan in his left eye wide. I frowned.

"Kirishima-san–" Before I could finish what I was saying, I heard Ken-kun give out a strangled scream and dragged me out of the alley. He crouched and breathed heavily. His kakugan was still visible.

"W-what is this?" he cried as he wiped the saliva dripping from his mouth. _Oh god. He's very hungry._

I gripped both his shoulders and said, "Ken-kun. I don't know how I can help you, but I will." He just nodded. I took his arm and we went back to the apartment.

* * *

The walk was a silent one. And a tense one at that too. I could almost feel his mind work and start connecting the dots. Shaking my head, I unlocked the door and ushered Ken-kun inside. He went straight to the bathroom.

I followed behind him.

"You know about this, don't you, Mi-chan", he said, his voice soft. I sniffled. _Damn it. I'm crying again._ I quickly wiped my tears with my sleeve.

"I… didn't know what to do. I never wanted to put this on your shoulders. I was only trying to protect the people I love", I rambled.

"Put this on my shoulders? What exactly is _this_?" His voice sounded disbelieving. "Ken-kun, do you remember what I went through after my accident? The decreasing appetite, all the meals I skipped, all the times I don't eat when we hang out, and I went away for a few days", I looked at his face. His expression became horrified.

"B-but, no, Mi-chan, you're not", his hands shook. "Watching you these past few days is torture, Ken-kun. Watching you go through all of this, it's déjà vu." I willed my kakugan to show. I stared at him square in the eyes. "And every time I look at you, I see my own reflection during those times that I was so helpless", I said and took a step towards him. His mouth started to tremble. _Don't be afraid of me. Please. I'm still the same Mi-chan._

"The ghoul that hurt you, she wanted to kill you for fun and eat you for leisure. She is also the ghoul… that killed Mom", I didn't even bother to wipe my tears now. "She was after you, b-but I wouldn't let her. I eliminated her chances of s-singling you out when we went to Anteiku. So she killed Mom."

"W-what? I'm the reason why Kaede-san is–" I cut him off.

"No, Ken-kun. Don't _ever_ blame yourself about that. It was my… carelessness that cost me e-everything", I said and put my hands on his shoulder. "Protecting you is something I don't regret doing. And I will keep doing so until I die. So please, don't think you're alone, okay?"

"Mi-chan…" He pulled me close as he sobbed his heart out.

"I like to cling to the thought that I'm still h-human. But I'm not. We're not human anymore, Ken-kun. I went through hell because I didn't want to accept it."

"But how, Mi-chan? How did you… No, you _ate _to survive!" He looked at me square in the face.

I stared at my feet. "I was taken in by a ghoul. He fought me until I was half-dead. He baited me to… to eat the ghoul. The ghoul that I ate, he was the one who ate from my shoulder on the night of my accident", I explained. _You even bothered to tell that part. It's not like it lessens what you did._

"You… ate…"

"K-Ken-kun–", I stopped when he stepped away from me. _I… please don't… _I reached out to him with trembling hands.

"Don't touch me! I'm… I'm human! You're lying! Go away!" He screamed as he back away to the wall. "Ken-kun! Please, listen! I'm trying to help you. I don't want you to end up like I did. Please–"

"No! Don't… Don't tell me those things! Go! I don't want to see you!" He clutched his head as tears fell down his cheeks.

I never knew that it would be this bad. Or maybe I was just too optimistic.

It hurts._ It hurts. I was just trying to steer him away from going through the things I did._

I felt my kakugan disappear.

"I-if you ever need me, just give me a call, yeah?" I didn't wait for his response and went to gather what I could fit in my backpack.

_Am I being rash? _I don't know. But I do remember his words clearly.

My vision blurred and my eyes throbbed.

_I'll watch even if I'm afar. _I slung my bag over my shoulders, grabbed my phone, and closed the door behind me.

* * *

_What do I do now?_ I don't want to stay here. _But I don't really have a choice._

My house was barren as ever. The silence was deafening.

I stopped by Mom's small shrine and said a little prayer. _Watch over me, Mom._

Lifting the curtain aside, the sun shone on the street. I looked at the time then went to get my bag. I quickly made my way to Anteiku. I was surprised to see an elderly man tending to the counter. Gathering my courage, I went to speak with him.

"It's a bit early, miss…"

"It's fine, mister. Um I… I have a request", I looked him in the eye. Understanding flickered in his eyes. "My… friend and I are new. And um, we're only half. He's having a hard time adjusting. Please, if he ever needs help…" I bowed to my waist. I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. "I understand. Would that friend be the young man you're always with?" He asked with a smile.

"Y-yes", I replied. _I'm not sure if he even considers me a friend anymore._ I could feel my eyes throb. I quickly swiped my face with the sleeve of my jacket and straightened up. My eyes widened as I remembered something important.

"O-oh, sorry for being so rude! I'm Michiyo", I said and tried to smile.

"Yoshimura, I'm the manager. A pleasure to meet you", he said.

"I'm sorry for taking your time, Yoshimura-san. But thank you for listening."

"We look out after our own", he said and nodded with a smile. I smiled for real this time. "I'll be going to work now. I'll see you around, Yoshimura-san", I bowed a little and went on my way.

_At least he'll have someone to lean on._

_To be continued…_

* * *

Author's note: Ugh. ;-; Review, follow, or favorite if you like.


	11. Mother

Disclaimer: _I do not own Tokyo Ghoul._

* * *

_**Mirror**_

**By TCNL**

* * *

_**Chapter 11: Mother**_

* * *

Days have passed since I distanced myself from Ken-kun. I kept in touch with Hide though. He kept on asking what really happened but I always tell him that I'll say stuff when it's the right time. He'd reluctantly agree but it doesn't stop him from trying to squeeze it out of me the following day.

I was worried when Ken-kun didn't show up at Takatsuki-san's book signing too.

Speaking of Takatsuki-san, even after the event, she was friendly and has a light air around her, just like last time. She wasn't tired at all. _And she's a ghoul too._ After realizing this, I saw the point of view of her works in a different light, and somehow, her works just got better in my eyes – which I thought was already impossible. She seemed curious about me, which was weird, but I didn't mind. We chatted a little before she had to go.

It was another day at work when Hide visited.

"Yo, Mi-chan!"

"Hi, Hide-chan", I greeted with a smile. It was nice to see a friendly and familiar face.

"Want to go with Anteiku with me? Classes are done and it's my day off", he rambled as he went around the place. "Hm, I usually expect you to hang out with Ken-kun", I replied, humming under my breath. "Aw, come on Mi-chan, don't be like that", he pouted as he scratched his cheek.

I stared. "I would but I have work right now, you know."

A voice spoke up, startling Hide.

"It's fine, Chiyo-san! Go hang out. Kami-sama knows you need to take a break", Ginrei-san said, waving a hand in exasperation.

Frowning, I looked back and forth him and Hide. I sighed.

"Alright, alright. Thanks for letting me off early, Ginrei-san." I fixed my stuff and took my bag with me. "You kids take care", he said as he took over the counter. I waved at him and went out the door with Hide.

"You should talk to Kaneki. He's been really out of it."

"I wish it was that simple, Hide-chan. He… hates me", I paused. _I'm a monster._

"But you guys should just make up. You're just both making things harder for yourselves", he pointed out. I harrumphed. "Can we talk about something else?" I sighed.

"Fiiine. I've been attacked by a ghoul recently." He had his arms behind his head. _Wait, what?_

"H-Hide! Don't joke about things like that!" I scolded him. _Damn guy, going to give me a heart attack!_

"But I'm not kidding, Mi-chan. Kaneki protected me", he said.

"_E-Eh? _Wait, I don't get it", I said trying to play it off. But I changed my mind. It's Hide. He's saying these things because he already knows. He already connected the dots.

"…at least you're okay. What were you thinking?" I exclaimed, shaking his shoulders hard. "I… I know you both won't tell me things directly. But I know. Kaneki's been really distant. I think he thinks it's a way of protecting me, but man, that's way predictable on the two of you", he said. I just stared at him dumbly. I quickly let go of his shoulders.

"I-I'll understand if you want to stop being friends with me, Hide", I mumbled as I fiddled with my hands.

He slung his arm around me. "Don't be stupid, Mi-chan. I'm your friend and I'll always will be", he grinned. _Hide… you idiot._ I swiped my jacket sleeve on my face. _I'm such a crybaby._

"T-Thanks. Let's get going", I said and dragged him towards Anteiku.

* * *

I hit Hide upside the head.

"Why didn't you tell me that _he_'s working there?"

"Uh, because you'll refuse to go?" He laughed nervously. I rolled my eyes.

Our stay at Anteiku was awkward, to say the least. Ken-kun was there. Most of what happened blanked out. I was too nervous for reasons I don't know. I refused to meet his gaze and I went as far as borrowing Hide's headphones to pretend that I can't hear the outside world.

"The things he said… I'm not sure if we can go back to the way before", I said to Hide.

"That bad, huh?" I just nodded.

"I know he probably didn't mean most of it, but it still hurts. I guess I needed a break too", I explained. Hide just sighed.

"You can always go back to see Ken-kun if you want. It's safe. The ghouls there are rather friendly", I broke the silence. He looked at me in surprise. "Really?" I nodded. "Nerima-ku, or also known as the 20th ward, is perhaps the most docile area among other places."

"You've been through a lot huh, Mi-chan…" I looked at him. "What made you say that?"

"The way you said information about Nerima-ku. A lot must have happened for you to need to know that." _Somehow, he never ceases to surprise me. _I smiled tiredly. "Somehow I made it. I'm still clueless on what to do next." I raised my head and stared at the bright blue sky. "It's hard, but somehow I'm managing."

"Oh. My house is this way, so uh, I'll see you soon, Hide-chan", I craned my head in its direction.

"Right. If you ever need someone, I'm here Mi-chan", he waved as he went on his way.

_Thanks for sticking with me._

* * *

I was on my way to work when I ungraciously bumped into someone.

"Ow", I muttered and looked up at the person. He has dark hair and teal eyes. And is really tall. He stared down at me in surprise.

"O-oh, I'm sorry", I said and bowed. "Excuse me, miss", he suddenly said and I paused in my step. "Yes?" He looked me over.

"…you look familiar", he said as he stared at me. _Eh? But I've never seen him before._ "I'm afraid I've never seen you before", I said as I tilted my head in confusion. "S-sorry, I must have been mistaken", he muttered as he looked away awkwardly.

"Anyways, I apologize. I'm Amon Koutarou", he offered his hand.

"Fujiwara Michiyo", I said and shook his hand.

I glanced at my watch and nearly screamed. "It was nice meeting you, Amon-san. I'm late for work. See you!" I said as I rushed down the street.

I could feel his gaze on me even as I crossed the street.

* * *

"Mom, can I have this one?" I heard the young girl squeal to her mother.

A couple of minutes earlier, a mother and her daughter entered the store. The child was particularly looking happy, but the mother smiled tiredly. And they're both ghouls. _They must have been through a lot too._

The mother glanced at me. I smiled.

Her child came up to the counter holding a book entitled _'Monochrome Rainbow'_.

"Ah, you're a fan of Takatsuki-san huh?" I said as I punched in the barcode.

"Yes, Onee-san", she said with a bounce on her step. "Hinami", her mother said, looking at her with a meaningful look. The child looked down and blushed.

"I-I'm Hinami", she said. "I'm Ryouko, Hinami's mother", the woman said as she smiled. _I guess she found me trustworthy to introduce themselves._

"I'm Michiyo, but you can call me Chiyo if you'd like", I said and shook her hand. I ruffled through my bag and got out my slightly worn-out copy of _The Black Goat's Egg_.

I handed it over to the child. "Here, Hinami-chan. Read this after you finish the book you just bought", I said and she slowly took it from my hands.

"It has a huge mark in the first page", she mumbled. She stared at it more, then her eyes widened. "Oh, yeah, Takatsuki-san signed it. She gave it to me ways back", I said.

"Really? I can have this?" She clutched the book to her chest, her eyes sparkling.

"Yes. I'm afraid I've read it too many times and it's stuck in my head", I scratched the back of my head sheepishly. Ryouko-san chuckled.

"T-thank you, Chiyo-nee-chan!" I smiled at her. "No problem, Hinami-chan."

"Thanks for giving her a book", Ryouko-san added. I shook my head. "We look out after our own", I said, quoting Yoshimura-san.

They both smiled at me, with Hinami-chan waving, before exiting the store.

I sighed.

_Mom, I wish you were here._

* * *

Night fell and I closed the shop.

_Wow, it's raining. _I sighed. It just happened that I don't have an umbrella with me. _Looks like I'm going home soaked. _I tied my hair into a neat bun. I don't need the rest of my hair wet.

I checked the doors if I locked them good and went out on my way home.

Out of nowhere, I felt cold wetness on my head. Quickly pulling up my hood, I rolled my eyes. _I'm an idiot._

While quickly making my way through the streets, I heard a faint shout. It sounded bad. A second after, I could hear the sound of fighting. _Should I… It's just down this street to my left. _Grunting under my breath, I hurried to the way of the commotion.

**THUD.**

I yelped and looked down. "H-Hinami-chan?" _Where's Ryouko-san? _She looked up at me, her face flooding with tears. "Chiyo-nee-chan! M-Mom is… all alone", she said through her sobs. I held her close. "Let's go", I said and we jogged to the way she came from. The noise was getting louder, and I could faintly hear labored breathing.

I forcefully stopped us from stepping out of the alley we were in. _The situation's really bad._ Four men were hounding on Ryouko-san, who was lumped on the pavement. She had her kagune out, trying to fight them off. _Shit. Ghoul investigators? T-that's Amon-san!_

_I have to do something– _

"…Mi-chan?"

I gasped and turned around, startled. "Kaneki-san!" Hinami said in relief. _Wait, so they know each other. _I looked at Ken-kun, with a stony expression on my face. "Protect her. Run if someone comes this way", I said and left my bag on the ground. "Mi-chan, don't–"

I climbed up the wall and jumped in front of Ryouko-san just as the strange-looking man whipped something from his briefcase. It pulsed with power as he swung to kill Ryouko-san. I blocked it with a strand of my rinkaku kagune.

"Tsk. Another?" He gritted his teeth, his wider eye twitched in glee. The other men flinched.

"Ryouko-san. Go", I softly said as I helped her to her feet. She trembled as I stepped from her and turned to the enemies. _The enemies. Humans. I can't take the way they do these kind of things._

There was a… tail-like kagune attached from the briefcase. _What the hell…_

I kept my head down as I observed. The other two investigators were nothing in strength compared to Amon-san and this strange-looking man. I readied myself.

Using my other kagune strands, I flicked them in the direction of Amon-san. _He wasn't such a bad fellow. _But I could see the manic gleam in his eyes as he dodged my strike. Sensing an incoming whip to my side, I jumped back. I crouched low on the ground and flared my kagune. _I can feel my limbs getting heavier._

Amon-san clicked his briefcase and a hammer-like weapon materialized out of it. I fended their blows for a while before I jumped and flipped myself, my kagune moving and flicked them to the side.

"W-what is this trash…" _Wow, I'm hurt Amon-san._

"You're the trash. No one in their right mind would take a mother away from her child", I seethed.

I felt my stomach grumble. _Not now!_

My vision swam for a second. Trying to finish the fight quickly, I pushed Amon-san to the end of the street.

**SWOOSH.**

_What… what's this warmth?_

I turned in horror as I saw Ryouko-san's head… fly from her neck.

_No!_

_No…_

I saw Hinami-chan struggling to get out of Ken-kun's grip. She was crying hysterically and Ken-kun looked at the scene with his mouth agape. He managed to cover her eyes.

_I'm no use at all._

_I'm sorry, Hinami-chan, Ryouko-san…_

I gritted my teeth in fury.

Crouching to the ground once again. I dipped the ends of my kagune on the mess of blood and spun, throwing blood into their eyes. I dashed to where Ken-kun was and grabbed them both. Using the metal fences of the fire exit as leverage, I threw us onto the building's rooftop.

**Thud.**

We landed in a mess of limbs. My hood fell down as I looked up at the dark, pouring sky.

"M-Mom… Mom…" Hinami-chan cried. She clung to me as she sobbed the heartache she felt. Ken-kun looked lost and horrified.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I failed. I failed again", I cried as I clutched her small frame. "I'm sorry, Hinami-chan. If only I was stronger", I said and a new wave of tears flowed down my cheeks.

"Mi-chan…" Ken-kun started but paused. "W-we should go back to Anteiku", he said.

"Y-yeah", I didn't even have the energy to feel awkward that I was talking to him. I straightened up, taking Hinami-chan into my arms. Looking out the area, I saw Ken-kun give me a weird look. _Oh yeah, why would I look like I was about to jump?_

"Oh thanks. You got my bag. Please take care of it a little more", I said, noticing that it was indeed my bag he had on his shoulder.

"Come here, Ken-kun", I said as I flared out my rinkaku kagune. "Uh", he hesitantly took a step towards me. "I'll use this to lift us up. Don't squirm too much, I might drop you", I warned him as I wrapped my kagune around his torso.

_I have to go quickly… I'm losing my strength._

Checking that he was secured, I willed my koukaku kagune to show. I heard him gasp. "Scary… but beautiful", he said as he stared up at my wings. I quickly looked away. Hinami-chan was still crying on my shoulder.

"Ready", I said and launched into the night sky. I frantically searched for Anteiku. In my relief, it wasn't so hard to find and I wobbly descended in the alley where the back door was. I gently set down Ken-kun and retracted both my kagune. I gasped and fell on my knees.

"Mi-chan!" He exclaimed as he tried to support me. He looked worried as he took Hinami-chan from my arms.

The door opened to reveal Yoshimura-san with a frown marring his face. Then understanding dawned on his face.

"Come in, let's get you out of the rain", he said as he ushered us. However, I stayed behind.

"I-I'll be going Yoshimura-san", I said, looking down at my feet. Taking my bag from Ken-kun who had the look of protest on his face, I lightly bowed to Yoshimura-san. "Please, tell Hinami-chan I'm sorry. Take care", I said, slinging my bag over my shoulders.

"A little moment please, Michiyo-san", Yoshimura-san said as he disappeared inside.

"Mi-chan, don't stand there in the rain."

I shook my head. "I'm fine, Ken-kun", I responded. Right then, Yoshimura-san came back with a small bag of cloth. "Put this in your coffee. It will help", he said as he handed the bag. His gaze flickered to my stomach. _Oh._

"T-thank you, Yoshimura-san. Bye Ken-kun, Hinami-chan", I said and hurried on my way to my house.

_To be continued…_

* * *

Author's note: :( Review, follow, or favorite if you like.


	12. Back to Thirteen

Disclaimer: _I do not own Tokyo Ghoul._

* * *

_**Mirror**_

**By TCNL**

* * *

_**Chapter 12: Back to Thirteen**_

* * *

Word spread that Ken-kun, Hinami-chan, and Kirishima-san had an encounter with ghoul investigators. Thankfully, they're okay. That night, I spent hours on writing a poem and painting on a huge canvas that was meant to be a Christmas present for Mom.

Occasionally, I visited Hinami-chan at Anteiku. And today was another one of those days.

I accompanied her as she read Monochrome Rainbow. I helped her with a couple of words she couldn't understand every time she timidly taps my shoulder to ask. Happily, I complied and put down my own book. I didn't notice the time pass by quickly.

"Sorry, Hinami-chan. I have to get going. I'll drop by again when I can", I said.

She looked at me with sad eyes.

"Chiyo-nee, please don't blame yourself", she suddenly said, rendering me still. "You always make a pained face, Chiyo-nee. Like you hate yourself. Please don't, Chiyo-nee. I don't blame you for Mom's death", she said as she gripped the sleeve of my jacket.

"I hate myself because I failed to save my Mom. I hated myself more when I couldn't do anything about Ken-kun's condition. I shouldn't have asked him to pick me up from work, y'know? And I hate myself for letting Ryouko-san die. If only I was stronger, I wouldn't have failed. Mom would be alive. Ken-kun wouldn't have to go through the hell of a ghoul's hunger. Ryouko-san would be here with you, taking care of you, and watching you grow up."

The pain in my chest was getting stronger. "H-Hinami-chan, I–"

"I have been wanting to thank you for trying to save Mom. They might have killed me too if you and Onii-san were not there. Onii-san said that it was okay for me to live. You should too." I couldn't help myself and I hugged her.

_Thank you, Hinami-chan._

_You made me feel that I'm not a total, utter failure…_

…_that somehow, I've done something right._

I realized that we were both crying when we let go of each other. "I-I'm sorry, Hinami-chan, I got your hair messy", I said as I brushed down the upright strands of her hair. She shook her head, wiping her tears. "It's okay, Chiyo-nee."

"I'll visit again as soon as I can, okay?" I said, hugging her lightly. "Take care, Chiyo-nee."

I gave her one last smile before going out the door, only to come face-to-face with Ken-kun.

_Uh…_

"H-how long have you been standing there?" I asked, quickly wiping my eyes with the sleeve of my jacket. I couldn't see his expression, he just stood there.

The wind was knocked out of me.

I could only stare at the ceiling in surprise as Ken-kun squeezed the living daylights out of me.

"…'m s-sorry… sorry…"

I put my arms around him. _Damn it. I just finished crying._

"…d-don't leave me, Mi-chan. I'm s-sorry… I wasn't thinking…"

I cried.

I cried because Ken-kun was talking to me again. _He doesn't hate me. He still cares._ And I cried because I was happy. I missed him a lot. Life wasn't the same without his presence.

"I'm not leaving you, Ken-kun… I would never… until the day I die."

_Just like I promised._

* * *

Hide sometimes visits me at work. Other than that, there was nothing else interesting lately.

Oh and Kirishima-san was friendlier too. She wasn't really bad if you get past her rough exterior.

And my hunger.

The cubes that Yoshimura-san gave me wondrously worked for a few days, but lately, I can feel the hunger starting to draw in. Even if I drink coffee with the cubes mixed in, it just felt hollow. _Like I was craving for something heavier._ Ugh.

Grabbing my bag, I went out the door. I have a couple of days off at work since Ginrei-san wanted to fix the electricity wiring around the store. Which is a good thing too. Just the other night, a woman was attacked by a ghoul. She had her eyes taken from her. _Creepy._

I'm supposed to meet Yamori-san today. He said that he's got some things to tell me. I found no harm in it since it I'm free. _And I need to find out what happened to me. _But before going, I agreed to have a drink with Hide at Anteiku.

I entered the café and was greeted by Hide.

"Right on time, Mi-chan! Come on," he said as he dragged me to a table.

"What's going on Hide-chan?" I asked. He looked around before he leaned, whispering into my ear. "I think Kaneki is getting on good with Kirishima-san", he said, pouting. I heard a startled clink of dishware somewhere in the shop. I raised a brow at him.

"And what does that have to do with me", I mumbled.

"But, Mi-chan! You two are like soulmates. Destiny just puts you together no matter what happens", he said. Taking a sip from my coffee, I leaned back and sighed. _Maybe he's right. But I don't know. With the way things are, it's hard to think about the future. _I shook my head. Why am I even thinking about this?

"I gotta go, Hide-chan. I have to meet-up with someone", I said apologetically. "B-but I just said that you and Kaneki are soulmates!" He exclaimed. We earned looks from the people around, including the staff.

"I'm not meeting a boyfriend, Hide-_chan_!" I hissed at him as I hit him upside the head.

He pouted and I rolled my eyes. He gave me a look. "I'll be fine, Hide-chan. It's not… really far", I said and looked at my phone.

"Mou, don't lie to me, Mi-chan! So… where are you really going?" He dropped his voice to a whisper as he asked. "The 13th ward", I replied, looking away from him. My gaze met with Ken-kun's. His face colored red and we both quickly looked away.

"Mi-chan, you're blushing", Hide said, his eyes gleaming. I rubbed at my face and rolled my eyes. "I'll see you around Hide-chan", I said and patted his shoulder 'bye'. I waved at Ken-kun. He stared at me with a look that I didn't quite understand.

"Are you an idiot or do you just want to die?" I gasped and saw Kirishima-san towering in front of me. _D-damn, she's scary…_

"The 13th ward is dangerous. There's too much bloodshed there. And there's that ghoul 'Jason'. _The others_ even stay away from that ward", she said, her eyes narrowing at me. "I-I'm just meeting up a friend there… haha…" I scratched my cheek, looking away from her. _And 'Jason'? She must mean Yamori-san because of the mask and all._

"Friend? Suspicious", she commented, her eyes narrowing some more.

"Whatever, it's not really my business. Don't come back dead", she said, turning to fix the trays.

I felt the corners of my mouth lift up. _She cares. _I went to the door, but it opened even before I reached it.

"As I thought, this place has really calmed down."

Looking at the person, it was a young man with a well-styled light purple hair and fashionable clothes. _A ghoul too. _He looks like a model.

"Long time no see, Kirishima-san, Irimi-san", he greeted. _He knows the people of Anteiku?_

"…why are you here?" Kirishima-san asked. _Wow. They mustn't be on good terms, huh? _Kirishima-san tried to make him leave, but he wouldn't have it. He set his eyes on Ken-kun.

"A guy with an eyepatch. It's you? The tough boy who could repel the investigator."

"Ah, hello. I'm Kaneki."

"Kaneki-kun, huh? You're a lot more delicate looking than I expected", he mumbled as he went around Ken-kun. "What a mysterious scent", he said as Ken-kun yelped in surprise. I stepped back. _Man, that's way too creepy._ He must have noticed since his attention snapped at me when I moved.

"Oh? Who you might be?"

"H-hi. Um, I'm Michiyo", I said. He abandoned Ken-kun and fully gave me his attention. "Michiyo? What a unique name. Is that your last name?" He asked with a friendly smile.

"No… it's Fujiwara", I said. He smile got wider. "What an exotic name for a person. Fujiwara, the greatest noble warring clan? It was said that a Fujiwara aided Emperor Tenji to claim his throne in the 7th century. Mm. It certainly complements your exotic scent", he said. _Whoa, whoa, wait a second. And he knows the history of my name too. Must be an avid reader, huh… And what's with him sniffing people?_

"Oi! You're getting in the way and you're creepy so hurry up and go away already", Kirishima-san said, furiously shooing him with her hand. "…you're completely inelegant. Next time, I'll come to drink coffee leisurely. When Yoshimura is around too", he said, looking at Kirishima-san.

"See you, Kaneki-kun, Michiyo-chan." He went to the door. I also made my way out of the shop. "Oya, you're going too? Why don't we go together?" He said and opened the door and gestured for me to go first. _What a gentleman._

I could feel myself blush as I waved at Hide then Ken-kun.

The door clicked close.

"Oh my, where are my manners? I forgot to introduce myself", he said and I turned to him.

"Tsukiyama Shuu. A pleasure to meet you, mademoiselle", he took and kissed my knuckles. _E-eh?! _"I-it's also nice to meet you, Tsukiyama-san." _Though I'm not sure if I'm being honest right now._

"Well, I have to get going, Tsukiyama-san. My friend is waiting for me", I said, trying to hide my embarrassment. "See you around, Michiyo-chan", he waved.

He doesn't seem so bad.

_But something about him screams trouble._

* * *

I approached the lady at the reception desk to rent a room for a few days. I decided to stay here for a while since I have nothing to do. School didn't really appeal to me right now. _Oh what would Mom say…? She definitely will be mad if she saw me like this._

I messaged Ginrei-san to call me in if he ever re-opens the bookstore at an earlier time.

_Now what?_ I rolled to my side. I jolted up. _Shit. I've forgotten about Yamori-san. _I quickly typed in a message on my phone.

_Yamori-san, is it okay if we meet up at the nearby café? It's just across the huge hotel._

Shortly, I received a reply.

_Alright, girl. You're paying._

I rolled my eyes. Typical of him. I went to the café and saw that he was already there. The staff was giving him wary looks. Well now that I think of it, he does look intimidating.

"Long time no see, Yamori-san", I greeted and sat down.

"Heh, been a while, girl", he said. I ordered drinks for us.

"What… exactly happened, Yamori-san?" He laughed at my question. I frowned. "Hey, I'm serious", I said. His laughter died down. "You mean, you don't remember?" He asked, his brow raised at me. I sighed.

"I wouldn't be asking if I did Yamori-san. And I can't say that I don't hate you for what you did, but… thanks", I swallowed a gulp of coffee. "Tch. It was fun watching you like that", he said as he crossed his legs. _Should I run or what? _

He started talking, his voice low and hushed.

"I guess you were too hungry and busy when I left the hobby room to get myself cleaned up. I looked like shit. But when I came back, you left almost nothing of the bastard and you were gone", he said. _Left almost nothing… I feel sick. _

"I was gone? What do you mean gone?"

"Exactly what I said, girl. You weren't anywhere. Oh and have you heard of the ghoul called '_Snow_'?" _Snow? I don't think I've heard of that one. _I shook my head. He laughed and leaned on the table.

"Well, well. _Snow_ plagued the 24th ward for days. Lots of ghouls moved out in fear that they'll get caught up in _her_ rampage", he paused. "The 24th ward is a huge underground dwelling that ghouls dug to avoid humans back then", he said, a grin forming on his face.

"She's feared by many, even if she only made herself known for a few days. Witnesses that lived said that even though she bathed in blood, her _snow-_white hair and kakugan glowed in the darkness. That's where they picked up the nickname _Snow_."

His gaze flickered upward and he grinned maniacally.

_Snow-white hair. _I sat there, staring at my cup.

"Y-you mean…"

"Tsk, you're smart enough to connect the dots", he said.

We sat in silence.

"Girl, the higher ups are thinking of bringing down Rize. You've heard of her right?" I stilled. _Rize. The ghoul that killed Mom and Ken-kun's kakuhou donor._ "Y-yeah, I have", I replied. "She has drawn the attention of the _doves_. The same as that 'Gourmet' ghoul. They're mobilizing forces more than before. Or that's what I've been told. To stop them, _they_ are thinking of taking her", he said. _I guess the 'doves' are ghoul investigators. And 'they' is Aogiri. But who is Gourmet?_

"Who's 'Gourmet', Yamori-san?"

"From the word going around, he's very particular with the flavor of his food. Hence the name Gourmet. Don't ask me common sense questions, girl", he huffed, looking at me like I was some sort of idiot.

_Well gee, I had to make sure. But wait…_

"Wait, why are you telling me this, Yamori-san?"

"You live in the 20th ward. Of course you'd get first-hand information. I'm gonna need that if we will make a move soon." _Shit. Since her kakuhou was transferred to Ken-kun he gives off a scent slightly similar to her. _

…Damn it.

"The other reason is because you're a part of Aogiri, girl", he said, startling me out of my thoughts. _What does he mean that I'm a part of Aogiri? I never said I'd join!_

"They have taken an interest in you. Remember what I said about the information, if you know what's good for you", he stood up. "Drop by sometime. Naki whines like shit, saying he wants to see you. Later", he said and gestured a wave as he left the café. I sat there dumbfounded.

Why are they interested in me?

And did Yamori-san just threaten me? _It doesn't matter. I'll never give them anything to use. I'll keep Ken-kun safe._

I sighed.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

It's been days since that meeting with Yamori-san.

I enjoyed the different scenery in the 13th ward. I was completely taken with the arcade near the mall, but I had to leave. The enticing scent of meat was overwhelming me. If I didn't leave I might have killed all the people there and sink into another rampage._ Maybe I should have, then I would be full right now._

Shut up!

I clutched my head as I leaned against the bathroom wall.

_Just eat, only a bite would do._

I laughed bitterly. Twice the times I have been here, I'm starving.

Finishing my shower, I changed into some fresh clothes and went outside the hotel.

_But you have to admit. Being full is like being high on pleasure._

_Damn it._ I pulled up my hood as I went around and searched for something to eat. No, I wasn't looking to single out a human and hunt. I was hoping to find a… ghoul. Morbid curiosity clung to me. What would happen if the only type of meat I eat is _them_? Would that give me an edge?

"Hahaha…"

_I'm definitely losing it. _I frowned. I'm going to need that edge if I'm going to protect Ken-kun from Aogiri. I sighed and picked up the sound of wailing.

**Growl.** _Just a little more._

I rounded an alley and saw a ghoul preying on a human girl. Walking up to them I said, "You should know better than to hunt in this place. _Yamori-san_ will be mad if he knew about this", I said. The ghoul looked up at me and screamed, letting go of the now-dead girl. _The hell is he afraid of me for?_

"Y-you're s-supposed to be underground–"

"Oh, so you know about me. Well, I'm not underground now, am I?" _What am I doing?_

**GROWL.**

"_Thank you, mister. You have given me an easy solution to my problem." _My kakugan pulsed in my right eye as I used my kagune to grip his limbs. He was screaming a lot that it hurt my ears. Using a strand, I slashed at his throat. Silence echoed around me as I filled my stomach. _It feels and tastes so good._

I stepped back.

_W-what... _I could feel my emotions slipping.

The ghoul was unrecognizable. He was just a mess of innards splattered on the pavement. Only its skull and bones was what said that it was something humanoid.

I just did what I thought that I have to do. Make myself stronger.

_A storm is brewing and I don't think I can stop it._ _But I have to try._

I glanced at the dead girl. _She doesn't look that appetizing anymore. _A ghoul will be lucky tonight.

"I… didn't lose consciousness", I muttered, looking down at my bloodied hands. "I am fully aware of what I just did. What an upgrade", I said under my breath.

Little did I know, I was being watched.

_To be continued…_

* * *

Author's note: Ohh man. Review, follow, or favorite if you like. :)


	13. Another Shade of Purple

Disclaimer: _I do not own Tokyo Ghoul._

* * *

_**Mirror**_

**By TCNL**

* * *

_**Chapter 13: Another Shade of Purple**_

* * *

"Mi-chan. I think Nishio-senpai needs help. He hasn't come to school lately", Hide said from the other end of the line.

_Wait, what does this have to do with me?_

"He's sick? Hide-chan, is there any point on why you're telling me this?" I asked.

"He's the ghoul that tried to kill me back then", he said. I almost dropped the phone. "What? Why are you concerned for him then?" I heard him hum under his breath.

"I was too perceptive for my own good. He saw me as a threat, that's why he did that. He was just trying to protect himself, y'know? I can't really blame him for that", he said and I sighed. "I… guess it's good that you see it that way."

"His girlfriend, Kimi-senpai is human. She approached me earlier this morning. She was looking for Kaneki. No doubt she's trying to find a way to help Nishio-senpai. Judging from the time he stopped coming to school, he hasn't recovered from his fight with Kaneki", he explained. _A ghoul dating a human? That's definitely surprising. _I thought about the situation.

"I can talk to the manager of Anteiku, to see if he can help", I offered. He cheered. "Thanks, Mi-chan! I'm worried about Kimi-senpai particularly. I did tell her that Kaneki works at Anteiku. She might be in danger, I don't know", he admitted.

I raised a brow. _So he wants me to be Kimi-san's bodyguard when she goes to Anteiku?_

I sighed and gave in. "Fine, fine. Well, I need to get going then."

"Kimi-senpai has short brown hair, by the way."

"Got it."

"Thanks again. Bye, Mi-chan!"

"Bye."

_Damn. Well I better leave now. It will take me a while to go back to the 20__th__ ward._

* * *

It was already a little late when I arrived at Anteiku. The shop was closed.

"What do I do now?" I whispered to myself. _Oh right. Track using Ken-kun's scent._

I blindly followed my nose. Looking around, well, I don't really know where I am. I inhaled deeply and picked up the scent of blood. _I have to hurry!_

An abandoned-looking church came into view. The door was slightly open. I quickly went inside and what I saw horrified me.

Tsukiyama-san stood in the center of it all.

Ken-kun and Kirishima-san were quite hurt, overwhelmed by the ghoul in the middle. I assumed it was Kimi-san lying on the altar. There was also a bloodied figure on the floor.

_Am I too late again?_

"Tsukiyama-san…?" I asked, my voice shaking. _So I was right…_

"Ah, Michiyo-chan! What an exciting treat!" He exclaimed taking a step forward.

_Stop…_

Kirishima-san came up behind him and tried to land a kick on his face. He spun and stabbed her in the middle with his ukaku kagune. He then threw her onto the pews. Ken-kun tried to punch him, but got thrown away too. He tried to stand, but ended up on his knees, coughing blood.

_Stop!_

"STOP HURTING THEM!" I screamed at him. _Whatever this is, it has to stop!_

"Stop hurting them! Do anything you want with me, just don't hurt them!"

"No! Mi-chan!" _I'll be fine, Ken-kun._

"My. Well then! Let me tear you to pieces! I want to feast upon you and make Kaneki-kun hear you breathe your last breath as I imprint your flavor into my mind wonderfully! I want to see that wonderful expression of despair as he watches! Then… Then… I'll eat him while he eats that woman!" _What the actual… That's sick!_

He made his way to the altar but was stopped as a bloody arm gripped his leg.

"Nishiki-kun… Are you a zombie?" Tsukiyama-san exclaimed and stepped on his head. _T-that must be Nishio-san. He was trying to stop Tsukiyama-san from going to Kimi-san. _Tsukiyama-san poised to finish him off.

_NOW!_

"You let go of me or–"

"_I told you to stop hurting them, Tsukiyama-san." _My kakugan pulsed as I gripped him with two strands of my kagune, lifting him off the ground.

"…just… a bite! Hahaha…" I glowered at him. "Enough with your stupid fantasies, Tsukiyama-san." He snarled and struggled. I tilted my head a little to the side.

"You're… surprisingly weak compared to Rize. Being a picky eater does that to you, huh", I said and grimaced bitterly.

I could feel the tension rise and the temperature drop. "You…" He seethed.

"The way you pine after Ken-kun and I… it's rather _pathetic_", I spat the words.

_**CRACK!**_

"Augh!" I felt his spine and kagune break.

"Your kagune comes from your right shoulder huh? I wonder if _it_'s also there", I pondered. Using my third strand, I reached out and stuck it in his shoulder. "W-what are you doing!" He grunted as I felt around his shoulder.

"I'm looking for the source of your power, Tsukiyama-san", I said. _A pulse of power. There!_ "Found it. I don't want to hurt you anymore. Please, give me your word that you'll stop coming after us and leave us alone."

"N-never! Just a b-bite won't do! I must–" _Wrong choice._

**SSHK!**

"You won't regenerate, Tsukiyama-san. I cut off your kakuhou along with your arm. Unless you eat, I'm afraid this is where this madness stops", I explained. _How am I so calm? _Before he could say anything else, I slammed him down on a pew.

He didn't move.

_Oh god, it's over. _I landed on my butt and breathed a sigh of relief. I retracted my kagune. _Being that kind of person exhausts me._

I felt a hand on my shoulder. "I never knew you were that strong, Mi-chan", Ken-kun said, kneeling beside me. "N-no, I'm usually not. I just… I don't want you guys to get hurt anymore." He held my hand. _W-wha…_

"Thank you, Mi-chan. You saved us", he said. I could feel tears welling up.

_I didn't fail. Not this time._

"No problem, Ken-kun", I said, launching myself at him. He staggered back at the force. "O-oh, sorry." He laughed sheepishly.

"Nishiki…" _That's Kirishima-san._

"I heard the conversation between that guy and that girl. Both you and Kaneki have had your real identities revealed, haven't you? I can't allow such a dangerous girl to live", she said. I stared at Ken-kun. His gaze flickered to the ground.

_Kirishima-san is right. But does she really have to die?_

"That person is probably like Mi-chan and Hide to me, or how Yoriko-chan is to you", he said, his eyes flickering to me. _Stupid Ken-kun… saying things like that._

"I understand the feeling of not wanting to take any risks… but if Yoriko-chan were to find out your real identity, would you be able to kill her?" _He's still hugging you, y'know._ Argh! Why are you so inappropriate?

"S-shut up… Why don't you understand? There is a need to kill this person so that doesn't happen!" A black and red glimmering wing came out of her right shoulder. _What a beautiful kagune. _I gasped when she started to attack Kimi-san.

But Nishio-san shielded her.

Kimi-san's blindfold fell and had a full view of Kirishima-san. "How beautiful…"

Silence fell.

"Ah… wha–" Kirishima-san turned away from her.

"What the hell is all this..?" She leapt away, her kagune still out. _I think she was flustered out of her mind. I had the same feeling when Ken-kun called my wings beautiful too…_ I shook my head and focused on the things at hand.

"That girl is also the same as you?" She asked, turning to Nishio-san. But he didn't respond and fell to the ground. "Nishiki-kun!"

"Ken-kun, we should go help him", I said. He jumped and released me. I looked up at his face and smiled. "You're red. Are you feeling fine?" I asked and felt his forehead. "D-don't tease me, Mi-chan", he muttered, looking away. I chuckled and we made our way to the couple.

"Kimi-san. I'm Michiyo, but you can call me Chiyo. Let's get help for Nishio-san", I said, introducing myself while Ken-kun and I put Nishio-san's arm on our shoulders. "You only have one… eye? That looks cool." I looked at her in surprise. _Oh. Right. I still have my kakugan on._ I returned my eye to normal and smiled.

"Thanks, Kimi-san. You're the first one to say that to me. You're certainly full of surprises", I said as we stepped outside the church.

Ken-kun turned to me. "We have to hurry up. Nishio-san was already in a bad state even before we came here", he explained. "Uh, yeah, okay. Let's go", I said and took a deep breath. _No one else is here. Good. _I flared my rinkaku kagune.

"Kirishima-san! We'll be going on ahead", I called out. I got no response, but I knew she heard me. I took Nishio-san from Ken-kun. He frowned.

"I'll be alright Ken-kun. I can take it", I said, assuring him.

"Don't worry, Kimi-san. I won't hurt you", I said, equally dividing my strands for the both of them. After securing them both, I stepped back until they were both a meter in front of me. I willed my koukaku kagune to appear.

"Hold on tight and please don't scream", I said and flew off into the sky.

* * *

I dropped dead-speed in front of the back door of Anteiku. Carrying three people was quite exhausting, unlike last time, I only had Ken-kun and Hinami-chan as my load. I heard Kimi-san stifle a scream when we landed while Ken-kun let out a sigh as I retracted both my kagune.

He opened the door to the shop while I carried Nishio-san. Kimi-san followed but I stopped her.

"Kimi-san, while we do trust you, the others here don't. It's best if you go and get some rest while we treat Nishio-san's wounds", I said, turning to her. She looked crestfallen.

"I… understand", she reluctantly said. _I wish I could do more for the both of you._

"I'll update you on Nishio-san's condition", I offered. She agreed and we exchanged numbers.

"Take care, Kimi-san."

"Thank you, Chiyo-san", she said before going._ What's with the '-san'? I thought she was older than me…_

Shaking my head, I went into the shop. I proceeded to the second floor and opened a vacant room. I put Nishio-san down gently on the couch. A moment later, Ken-kun entered with some bandages.

"I'll get something to wash off the blood", I said and went to the kitchen. Finding an unused, small basin, I put water in it and took a clean cloth from the cupboard. Going back to where Nishio-san was, I found Yoshimura-san in the room, along with Ken-kun. _What's going on?_

"Ah, Michiyo-san. Thank you", he said.

"It's no problem, Yoshimura-san", I responded, putting down the basin and dipping the cloth. I started to wipe off the blood from his face. _Damn Tsukiyama-san. And Nishio-san's really admirable. To think that he'd go to such lengths just to protect Kimi-san._

"Mi-chan?" I tilted my head and saw Ken-kun with a strange expression on his face.

"Hm?" _Huh? Where'd Yoshimura-san go?_

"Uh, you were, uh smiling", he said. Oh. "I'm just… I really look up to Nishio-san. He didn't mind throwing away his life just to protect Kimi-san. And to think that they're of different species. Their love is like the bridge between humans and ghouls, y'know?" I continued cleaning off the blood.

"Yeah…" He mumbled and went to the door.

"I'll help clean him up", he said before he was gone.

* * *

The bookstore was back on business a day or two after the incident with Tsukiyama-san. The place certainly upgraded from a normal bookstore into and exclusive bookstore. _With its looks anyway._ The shelves were the way I arranged them, but the ambiance was better. Antique-looking lights hung from the walls and instead of the bare floor, there was a velvet red carpet covering it.

The smell of new pages and air freshener lingered in the air as I entered. Ginrei-san was at the counter, which now has a brand-new cash register.

"Oh, good morning Chiyo-san!" He greeted cheerfully.

"Good morning, Ginrei-san", I greeted back and hummed. "I thought you said that you were only going to have the wirings fixed, but this is _amazing_", I said and put my bag down. "It's like I'm in one of those libraries in Europe!"

"I'm glad you approve, Chiyo-san. I got a huge donation from Takatsuki-san, a generous lady she is", he said and went to the doorway going up the second floor. _Takatsuki-san? And how much did she give for the bookstore to have a makeover?_

Dang, I want to be that rich.

"I'll go find that box of décor. The shelves can do with a little livening up", he said and disappeared to the second floor. "Do you need any help, Ginrei-san?" I called out. He said he'd be fine so I explored the functions of the new cash register.

* * *

Hide was dragging me to Anteiku the following weekend. We were a little early so the shop was still closed, but we hung around with Touka-chan and Ken-kun. And yes, I started calling Kirishima-san as Touka-chan ever since we had a chat the other day. She happened to be younger than me by a year.

"A pickpocket?" I asked. Ken-kun was telling us that he lost his wallet on his way back to his apartment. "You didn't see his face or anything?" Hide asked, resting his chin on his palm.

"What the hell… Did you report it?" Touka-chan chimed in. He said that he didn't, since he got back his student ID back. I rolled my eyes. "You couldn't even bother to do that, Ken-kun?"

"It's just as Touka-chan said. It means you can prevent him from doing it again!" Hide protested, looking ready to smack some sense into him. Ken-kun smiled nervously at our irritated faces.

"Heh, well now, don't you look just dumb", a voice said from behind. Turning, I saw Nishio-san dressed in full waiter uniform. "If you were to present yourself more sternly, then poor bastards like that wouldn't target you", he said.

I felt a tap on my shoulder. _Ken-kun?_

"Mi-chan, how was work?" I smiled. "Better nowadays. You should visit some time. The place looks new", I said. "Really? Yeah, I guess I should. It's been a while since I last went there…" We both turned sober at that thought. _The last time he was on his way to the bookstore, Rize attacked him._

I heard Hide gasp and turned.

"No way, could it be you're aiming for Touka-chan?" _Really, Hide?_

"Who want such a simple-minded woman?"

"Hah…?" _Uh oh._

I zoned out for a bit.

"_According to the guidance of CCG's head chairman, Washuu Tsuneyoshi, it has been decided that there will be a personnel increase in the designated wards along with the 11__th__ ward–"_

It's just like as Yamori-san said. They'll be more active in these parts. Some of them will be assigned on Rize's case. Others will be on Tsukiyama-san's as Gourmet. _And Aogiri will capture Rize. If she happens to cooperate with them, then it will be beneficial for Aogiri and they will use her against CCG. If she refuses, they will kill her off, they don't need a nuisance in their plans._

But Rize is no more.

Aogiri will then target Ken-kun because of the similarity of his scent to Rize.

_Shit…_

"A-ah!" I squeaked when I fell off my chair. I looked and saw Ken-kun looking at me with surprise. "Uh… what?" I sat there dumbly.

"I was calling your name for the a few minutes but you weren't responding", he said. I could feel my face heating up. _I probably looked like an idiot... _"You were just staring blankly at the television, Mi-chan. Is something wrong?" I flinched when he asked. It didn't go unnoticed.

"N-nothing, Ken-kun. I was just lost in my thoughts, haha…"

I didn't miss the sharp look Hide gave me.

_The price I pay for power to protect what I hold dear._

_To be continued…_

* * *

Author's note: Meow. Review, follow, or favorite if you like. :)


	14. Sunset

Disclaimer: _I do not own Tokyo Ghoul._

* * *

_**Mirror**_

**By TCNL**

* * *

_**Chapter 14: Sunset**_

* * *

Night came and I was still bothered by the news about CCG this morning.

To distract myself, I decided to go shopping. With enough money that I saved from my earnings at work, I figured I could use a new wardrobe. I'm kind of sick seeing myself with the usual attire of shirt, shorts, a jacket and my sneakers. _And I need to change the way I dress, especially that the doves are coming in. _The worst situation I would be in is when Amon-san somehow makes a connection basing from our last encounter.

_I was wearing the same clothes when he saw me and when we fought._

I sighed. _Stop sighing, you're not helping yourself._ Oh.

Grabbing my backpack, I went out into the city.

Arriving at the mall, a store immediately caught my eye. I dashed.

"Waa~" I swooned. _Oh my god. _Custom-designed shirts.**Everywhere. **

I was about to reach out and grab to inspect a shirt with a print of the Scouting Legion's crest.

_But wait. I said I'm going to change my outfit._

_Just one. _I'll buy just one shirt and then the others will be blouses or something.

After a couple of minutes, I stood outside the store in a daze.

…

_Fuck._

I ended up buying four shirts. Four. Shirts. _Stupid._

I groaned and bought two dark denim jeans and a stylish jacket to go with them. _Hm… At least I changed the style a bit. I think I should go get something to eat._ I went to a restaurant Hide, Ken-kun and I used to frequent when we hung out.

_What the hell am I doing?_

I'm a _ghoul_. I can't eat there anymore.

Bitterness crept into me. I turned around and went straight to the comfort room. I changed into what I bought. Looking at my reflection, I realized I looked decent. I shrugged and went outside. I froze when I saw a familiar face.

_Yamori-san? Shit._

There was also a flamboyant-looking man with him.

"Oh, hello Yamori-san. I'm surprised to see you here", I said. _Shit._

"Don't waste my time, girl. Come with us", he said and they started walking. _What do I do? Run? Where? _The area was crowded. If I run, it would certainly cause a commotion. The police would come in, and soon, the ghoul investigators.

And so, I begrudgingly followed them.

* * *

"You've been ignoring my calls, girl", Yamori-san drawled as we entered a less illuminated street.

"I-I've been busy, Yamori-san–"

"Cut the shit! You sent Naki on a false trail to the 4th ward!" I flinched back. _Not good. It will be hard to escape from here. I can't exactly fly straight off._

"Why are you making this hard for the both of us? Tell me where Rize is", he said. I remained silent. "Are you trying to protect her? Tch. Don't tell me you're her _friend_?" _No. Even if she was alive, I don't think we will be._

"Oh? Hm, so you're not…"

"Where is the ghoul headquarters here at then? You could at least tell me that", he said. _I'll never tell you anything._

"You won't get anything from me Yamori-san. I have my reasons", I said and prepared myself to fight. He just smirked at me.

"I told you… _Do not disappoint me_", his kagune zoomed past my shoulder as I dodged. I flinched as I heard the concrete wall crack. _Gah, my shoulder… This place is too narrow!_ I retracted my kagune. I'll have to use hand-to-hand combat.

I noticed that Yamori-san's kagune brushed against the wall too. He was a bit distracted.

_NOW!_

Aiming a kick to his face, I gasped when he blocked it single-handedly. From the corner of my eye, I saw him take his hand out from his pocket. _A syringe?_

I staggered, landing on the ground. _What is this heavy feeling? I don't like it. _I tried to strike at him but I looked at my back, a look of terror on my face.

_Where's my kagune? I can't move them? _

…So that's what it does.

Not good.

_**RUN!**_

I turned on my heel and dashed to the main street. But before I could get any further, I felt pain in my abdomen. Looking down, I saw two huge spikes piercing through me. "Ugh…" I coughed out blood.

"You will entertain me, girl", he said.

His hand coming down on my nape and his sadistic smirk was all I saw before there was nothing.

_Protect… them…_

* * *

Everything was burning. I'm not sure if it was my arm, my leg, or what. All I know is, _it burns_. I don't know how long I have been here, but it feels like it already has been a long time.

**CRRK!**

"A-aahh..!" I gasped as another nail came off. Tears were streaming down my face.

"That's not right", Yamori-san frowned and came back with a tool. _Why did I..?_

_Is this the price of power?_

Lifting my head a little, I saw that two wrench-like tools were steadied at my ring and pinky finger. It clamped down. My eyes hurt from crying. "Nngh… please… no…"

**CRRSHK! **"AAHH!"

"There we go. I'd have to make you count if you stopped singing, girl." I vaguely saw that he put down the other tool.

_**Clamp, rip.**_"Where is Rize?"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

_**Clamp, rip. **_"Where is the ghoul headquarters?"

"I'LL NEVER TELL YOU!"

_**Clamp, rip.**_

_I don't regret anything… Never! I'll never tell them anything–_

_**Clamp, rip.**_

_It hurts._

_**Clamp, rip. **_The chains shackled on my wrists and leg clanged loudly as I struggled.

_Please stop._

_**Clamp, rip. **_I have to get away. I have to…

_It hurts…_

_**Clamp, rip.**_

_Ah, they're all gone._

"We're getting delayed because of you, girl. I'll give you a last chance. Tell us, and I'll let you go. We could find some use for you", he said. That caught my attention.

_Let me go? Really? He will?_

Shut up! No one is going anywhere! I'll stay… I'll stay if it means I'll keep my friends safe.

"I'll be back in a few minutes", he grunted and left the room.

"Haha… Hahaha… He thinks I'll fall for that…" I laughed at his stupidity. I glanced at my digits and saw they were all dripping with blood. I pressed them lightly on the chair's handle.

"Nngh!" _Fuck, wrong move._ It still hurts like hell. _You _are _in hell._

I know. I squiggled on the chair to see if I can somehow loosen something. I don't know. _Why am I even trying to get away?_

"One, two… three? Right. Four then… fiiive", I whispered, counting the white tiles in a spiral direction from my chair. _There's so many of them! Isn't it just wonderful? _I looked up. An asterisk of red connected beams served as the sky. _Did the sky bleed too?_

Huh? What was I doing here?

**SLAM!**

Who's that?

"So, are you going to tell me now, girl?" Tell him what?

_Tell him about Ken-kun. About Anteiku. So you can get out of hell. Enough of hell._

"No… NO!"

"As I said before, do not disappoint me." He started off with my left foot, this time he went beyond my nail.

"**AAHH!**" _What have I done?_

* * *

Yamori-san has been gone for… I don't know for how long he's been gone. But I'm not getting fed forcefully and my fingers ripped off, which is great. I suppose Yamori-san was considerate enough to feed me nice ghoul meat.

That was only once though. I haven't eaten in a while.

_Oh and don't forget, it's been a while since he dug around your abdomen!_

That too. What else did he do?

_That thing with the spiral metal thing. _Oh yes, he drilled through my hands and feet too. I want to kill him for that. Trying to make me into Jesus isn't my thing.

I heard the door creak open.

_Oh lookie. It's Yamori-saan~_

"Ayato is here. It'll be no problem to locate the headquarters now", he said. _Oh no. They mustn't… Not Ken-kun…You'll pay if you hurt him…_

"If you're happy and you know it, suck my d–" Why won't he let me finish?

**CRRSHK! **_You're not usually this crude._

"You've lost it, girl. That's too bad."

"I've lost some things, Yamori-saan~ But not me. Teehee, you're never gonna geeet me", I said with a tune.

What? It made talking more fun.

**CRRSK! **"Aagh!" _That feeling never changed. _When did I start feeling that, hm? _Probably a century now already. _

Argh, what is this? Why is it wet?

I looked at my lap, there were dark blotches dripping from above. _You're crying. I wonder why. _I wonder too. Crying is a sign of weakness, yeah? _Stop crying you worthless scum._

Aw, Yamori-san left.

_I'm all alone again…_

_I don't want to be alone._

* * *

Oh. I'm still here. Today, people in red took me from that room.

_That was okay, though. That room was getting boring anyways._

"Ugh..." I groaned when I tried to move. _My ass hurts._

What the hell is wrong with you?

_It hurts! From sitting down, you idiot! _Oh. Right.

"Need to… escape…" I strained against the shackles. I winced as the metal rubbed against my legs and wrists.

I struggled.

_Is this my punishment? I swear I'd never eat again…_

Sobbing, I could only stare ahead.

_I wonder how the others are doing. And Ken-kun too. It's his birthday soon. I wonder, did I already miss it? I was hoping to spend Christmas with him too…_

Wait.

Aogiri is after him.

I struggled until I could feel the chains dig on the muscles beneath my skin.

* * *

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

_Drip goes the red drop from my lip. Drip goes the red drops from my hands…_

_Feet, aaand everywhere in this pit~ _

I bit my lip too hard. Yamori-san just left the room. He wasn't satisfied when he didn't hear me sing with passion. What can I say? This is getting old.

_So he decided to drill my hands and feet again._ He must have noticed how much I hated that because he kept doing it after I refused to scream.

I got a new friend though.

My eyes hurt too. And my throat burns every time I talk. _You got no one to talk to._

"Well… I'm talking to you… aren't I?" I rasped. _Your throat is very sore._

"I've b-been screaming… too much, I know", I replied. Silence fell.

"Hey. I'm hungry, Mr. Centipede. Feed me." My stomach growled on cue. I felt him move somewhere in my head. _There aren't any food here. Gotta find someone first._

That sucks. I was hoping I could eat Yamori-san. _Don't like human meat? _Nope.

_But I said I'd never eat again._

* * *

Everything was blank. _How long have I been here? _I tilted my head and looked down on my hands, particularly my nails. They're quite fashionable if you ask me.

_The color of my blood. So pretty._

Since when did black become the color of blood? _Look closely, you idiot! It has a tinge of red in it. That's how it looks when it's dried._

…Dried blood? I still have nails, don't I? _Yeah, yeah._

I felt myself being grabbed by the collar and dragged.

"Gah…" I protested as I felt the floor scrape against my kneecaps. A river trailed behind me.

_That's not a river._ My hair or blood. _Or both._ I was bleeding somewhere? I didn't notice.

Light flooded my eyes and I kept my head down, trying to adjust my eyes.

_Ohh. Black and white. How nostalgic._

I was dropped on the floor. Wait.

_I'm free. I'm not… chained! _But the shackles aren't tied to the chair. But I'm still restrained. _I don't like it. _

_I DON'T LIKE IT! I CAN'T MOVE ALL MY LIMBS. I CAN'T…_

With all the effort I could muster, I got on my knees. My arms trembled so much that they gave away. "Ugh…" _Not now._

Just a little bit more. I could move.

I looked up and saw two figures not far from me. _Dead._ That's too bad. _I want to eat. They can do._ No, no. We should get out of here first. We're not chained anymore. _There's something holding us back!_

I was lifted up again.

**Thud.**

I heard murmurs around me. _I wonder, what's going on? Everything seems so far._

_Mi-chan…_

"Mr. Centipede, that sounds familiar… Who's that?" I forced myself to look up.

"Waah, y-your hair is like mine! Like… like s-snow", I said. Feeling my arms shake again, I shifted myself into a sitting position. "H-hey Mr. Centipede, do you know this guy?" I asked, hoping that he won't be ignoring me again.

There was silence.

"DON'T IGNORE ME!" I screamed. _He's not being fair._ "Get out if you're gonna be like that!" I tilted my head to the side quickly.

**Splat.**

"Tch. You've been keeping _that_ there? You broke too easy, girl. But you've been here longer than this guy", a voice said. Turning my head to the direction where heard it, I saw a tall and brute-looking man. "Y-you…" _I thought we weren't done for today._

"You're not gonna fill my bucket today? I-I mean, I'm not complaining. I'm just really hungry. And… and please don't take my pinky. It's weird watching it grow back…" I murmured and rocked myself back and forth.

"I said I'd protect them, I did. I didn't tell you anything did I?"

"We didn't need you for information anymore, girl", he said. _Oh. Then why was I in that room again?_ I looked down at the hands on my lap.

The man turned to the one on the chair. _Why's he looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?_ I blinked as he disappeared for a second.

_**SSHLK!**_

_Uh oh. Looks like a fight is breaking out._

_To be continued…_

* * *

Author's note: Oh my. Review, follow, or favorite if you like.


	15. Abyss

Disclaimer: _I do not own Tokyo Ghoul._

* * *

_**Mirror**_

**By TCNL**

* * *

_**Chapter 15: Abyss**_

* * *

I think that brute-looking guy lost it. He was saying mumbo-jumbo while fighting the other guy. The next thing I'm seeing, Snow-kun was eating on the guy's weird-looking kagune.

"H-hey, leave some for me", I protested. _I'm hungry and it hurts._ He went on eating the guy's kagune. _I think he heard me._

I flinched when he sharply turned his head to look at me. He started to walk towards me. _Did I do something wrong?_ What he did next was something I didn't expect.

"Mi-chan… what happened to you?" He asked as he held me close. His scent hit my nose hard. I felt wetness on my cheeks. _Why am I crying? _"I'm sorry. I should have went looking for you right away. I'm sorry", he rambled into my hair. _W-what?_

"U-um..? You know me?" _This guy is way too confusing._ He looked like a kicked puppy then. "Why can't you remember?" He asked. I tilted my head to the side.

"Hm… as far as I can remember, I did something wrong. So _that_ person punished me. But he gave me Mr. Centipede. It hurt to have a friend in my ear, but at least I wasn't alone", I said and giggled. He just hugged me closer. _How weird. This doesn't feel awkward at all. _He separated himself from me and looked me square in the eyes.

"Ghoul investigators are swarming the place", he explained. "We'll go check on Banjou-san and the others. I can't let you get hurt anymore." _Who's Banjou-san? And the others? What?_

"Banjou-san lead me and the other ghouls through a plan to escape Aogiri. But it didn't work and they're being held captive." Oh. "I'll tell you the whole story some other time. I… I'll fix you somehow, Mi-chan."

_Hm. _"Wait, you keep calling me that. What's your name anyway?" The pained look on his face somehow got worse. "You can call me Ken."

_Ken, huh. _"But that person always called me girl. Doesn't that mean my name is 'girl'?" I asked. He shook his head. "No. Your name is Michiyo. But I call you Mi-chan." I hummed and started to zone out. I felt warmth around my hand. "Let's go."

* * *

We went around the place. I didn't actually know where we're going but I went with Ken-kun. He held my hand through the way. I'm still hungry, but something made me feel like it's not time to eat. Like, something big will happen. _Maybe we can finally find food then._

Bursting through the steel bars, Ken-kun and I saw a couple of people.

"Banjou-san?" _Ohh, so this is 'Banjou-san'._

"Ka…neki? That voice! Is that Kaneki? It's you isn't it?" The relief in his voice was obvious. "So you were safe. Hm? Who's this pretty lady with you?" I tilted my head. Does he mean me? Pretty? This guy's nuts. _We should just eat him._ I don't think Ken-kun will like that though.

"Banjou-san… Oh this is Mi-chan, my um, uh, friend", he stuttered. _Weird._

"Now, now. Don't be shy. So she's your woman, huh", Banjou-san said. I stared blankly.

"A-anyway, I'm so relieved that everyone was safe", Ken-kun softly said.

"Y-your appearance. Your hair", Banjou-san said. He obviously don't know what to ask. "A few things happened", Ken-kun replied. _I somehow doubt that. I did see a bucket beside his chair then._

"What happened to Yamori? In the end, that guy tossed us all in here. Where is he now?"

**Yamori.**

_**Yamori-san. **_I could feel something creep in.

"Yamori-san…" _H-he… is the one responsible for this. That name. No. I will–_

"Mi-chan!" Ken-kun yelped as I tried to free myself from his grip, but he pulled me close and hugged me. Again. _But it feels so calming. _Something was ticking in my head.

"D-don't tell me… you guys…"

"Aa. But I defeated him. He's still alive but I don't think he is any condition to fight", Ken-kun said, his eyes gleaming. _Oh my._ The others found it hard to believe. "Um… where is Kei-san and Kouto-kun?" A masked ghoul inquired. Two people… They must be the dead ones in the room.

A feeling kept gnawing at me. Ken-kun knows who I am. But even I don't know myself. And ironically, I don't remember anything besides my time here. I lost track of time. _What was I exactly doing there? I can't remember, but I have to._

"I won't let anyone else be killed", the voice of Ken-kun broke me out of my thoughts. "The CCG troops are currently attacking. They intend to clear out all the ghouls in this place. Let's go. Follow me", he said with unwavering authority in his voice. _Waah… He suddenly seemed more handsome. _Shut up!

The sounds of fighting were unmistakable.

* * *

The others went on to get out. We then proceeded to a high place. Incidentally, we came across someone whom Ken-kun knows. He called him 'Nishio-senpai'. He turned his attention to me and asked, "What the shit? You're here too?" I frowned in confusion.

"Senpai. Let's go", Ken-kun said, his expression hardening as he led me up the stairs.

When we were about to the rooftop, he suddenly jumped.

Disappointed at the sudden loss of warmth around my hand, I stepped into open area. There was a guy about to kill the girl lying on the ground. Ken-kun stopped his attack and picked up the girl. _What is this… bad feeling?_

"That… girl. She looks familiar", I mumbled. Nishio-san raised his brows at me. "You mean, you don't remember?" He asked. I shook my head 'no'. "Just what happened?" _I wonder too._

A fight broke out again. I wonder if I should join in, or not.

_That's a cool-looking mask too._

I sat on the floor and started to rock myself back and forth. Nishio-san went to check up on them. _You could care less about them. You need to eat. We must eat. _I jumped down to the hole that Ken-kun plunged the guy he was fighting.

_Down all the way through three floors._

Ken-kun was breaking his bones, one by one. _Why does this feel wrong?_ I approached him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Ken-kun. Enough", I said. He stilled and stared at me. "Mi-chan… He hurt Touka-chan", he explained. I shook my head. "Can I just eat him, please? I'm starving", I said.

The guy with broken bones stilled.

"C-cannibal?" _That's right. Cower, you little thing._

I heard a couple of heavy footsteps. Looking in the direction where it was coming from, I vaguely distinguished the shape of helmets. Must be the 'CCG'. "Ken-kun we need to get out of here." He held my hand.

Out of nowhere, a ghoul with a creepy looking mask attacked the CCG people. _Wow. He's strong._

"Noro…" The guy with broken bones whispered. He must be referring to the ghoul dicing the CCG.

"Stop."

We all turned to who spoke up. A man with moonlight-silver hair under his hood put his hand on Ken-kun's shoulder. There was also this guy whose hair is an eerie purple and another guy with his kakugan on, his hair parted neatly and the other side shaved. He had a tattoo on his neck. _Who are they?_

"Yomo-san…" Ken-kun whispered. _So he does know them._ And t_hat guy with purple hair is staring._ Creepy. "Ken. That's enough. Rest a little." Ken-kun's knees started to shake. "Rest? Why? I didn't fight yet. I couldn't–no–" _What is he saying? Look what he did to Ken-kun._

"W-what are you saying to him? Stop! Don't hurt him!" I shouted as I pushed Ken-kun behind me and flared out my rinkaku kagune. _Wait. How do I know that?_ I don't care. I must protect him. _He's hasn't cut off a finger from me since we met y'know?_

The guy with tattoo took off his cloak and approached us. I tensed.

"Don't worry, we're not enemies. Leave it to us, Kaneki-kun", he said, putting the cloak around us. The three turned to Noro. "Finally. It looks like we have a serious opponent."

I turned my attention to Ken-kun. "Are you okay? I'll kill them all, if you want me to", I offered. He put his arms around me tightly. Again. "Ken-kun?" He didn't respond and just stayed there. I felt heaviness settle in me. "We'll be fine. We'll be fine", I murmured and stroked his hair. He clung to me and I stayed put.

_What exactly is going on? I'm sick and tired of this shit… I have to find out._

Aaand I'm still hungry.

_I wonder how Mr. Centipede is doing…_

"He left." Huh?

"Curfew?" _It's that creepy guy. _

"You don't need to fight. Come on you two. I'll help you up", Yomo-san said and offered us his hand. Ken-kun didn't accept it. He thanked him though. "Ken-kun…" I whispered. He looked at me with a puzzling expression. _I wonder what he's thinking when he's making a face like that… It makes me sad._

"We should be heading back now."

* * *

A little far from the building, we arrived at a small clearing. Nishio-san supported the girl from before. _That must hurt, huh._ I shivered at the thought of my limbs being eaten. She gave me glances which I couldn't clearly understand.

And Ken-kun held my hand the entire time, I found it weird that I didn't find it weird.

"Kaneki!" Banjou-san and his companions came into view.

"Looks like you're done here", he said.

"Banjou-san… Yes."

The sound of a helicopter permeated the air. "It seems to be over", Yomo-san commented, gazing at the several buildings with a melancholic expression. _This place. It looks familiar. _I noticed Ken-kun removed his badass mask.

"For a moment there, I thought I was gonna die. It's hard to believe I'll going back to university and a normal life soon", Nishio-san said. I didn't realize that the situation was that bad. _Maybe it's because you're used to suffering pain._ Shut up, I already know that. "No, normal life is important. There's also work at Anteiku", Nishio-san continued, dropping another familiar-sounding word.

"Hey, you. When we get back, why don't we change your hair color? If you work in a shop like that, you'll stand out a lot", the girl said and then she turned to me. I saw Ken-kun smile sadly. "You've been too quiet. What's up with you?" _E-eh? Does she know me?_

"Um, uh, do you know me…?" I asked, scratching the back of my head.

"O-oi. Don't tell me you've forgotten me already?" She asked, her temper obviously rising. _Haha… She's quite scary…_ Ken-kun put a hand in front of me. "Touka-chan. She doesn't remember. A lot of… things happened." She frowned at what he said.

"Just what–"

"I won't be returning to Anteiku. There are things I want to do."

Everyone stilled at what he said. _Anteiku must be some kind of home._ I wonder if I have one of those too.

"For that reason, I need to prepare, I have to get stronger. There are still a lot of things I need to find out. I have no time", he explained. _Ehhh… I wanna go with._

Banjou-san stepped forward. "K-Kaneki. You really saved my life this time. I also want to cooperate with you. I can be your shield, or helper, or whatever you need me to do. Though I might not be of any use…" Ken-kun reached out his hand. "Thank you, Banjou-san. You can help me. Let's do our best together." Banjou-san's face lit up. "A-alright!"

"If Banjou-san goes, we go too."

"Though I'm afraid we won't be much help to Kaneki-san." Silence fell in quiet humor and I smiled. _These guys…_

**Clap. Clap. Clap. **

"What a wonderful plan! If monsieur Banjoi is the shield, then I'm the sword. I will become the knight that cuts through your road of thorns", the creepy-looking guy said. _He smells of trouble._ "Tsukiyama-san… so you were alive after all." Ken-kun looked very cautious of him. _Intuition pays off._

"There's too much for me left to die just yet." _I wonder what he meant by that._

Why does everyone look familiar? I wonder. They obviously have connections with Ken-kun, and Ken-kun knew who I was. It's a high possibility that these people know me too. _Or we should just eat them._ No.

"…If you are unnecessary, I'll kill you. So please treat me well", Ken-kun said, leaning to Tsukiyama-san.

"Ka… Kaneki. I also want to go with you…" Touka-san started but she was cut off. "Touka-chan, aren't you going to college? Aren't you going to college? Don't you have to take exams next year? You have to start studying soon."

"There might be an empty spot when I leave the shop, I'm sorry about that. To Nishio-san as well." Ken-kun looked away. "Heh."

"I'll drop by to get coffee some time." He suddenly turned to me. "Mi-chan… Y-you should go with them. I can't–" _No way. No!_

"Don't leave me alone… Don't", I whispered. My eyes started to hurt. "Don't leave me. I don't want to be alone. I left Mr. Centipede back there… I only have you now… You made Y-Yamori-san go away. I'll be keeping my fingers now, no more filling buckets. So please, d-don't leave me…" I felt my knees give out.

_Drip. _Huh? I looked at my hands. _Blood?_ Where?

"Mi-chan… A-alright. I won't… I'll take you with me. But when I say you run, you _will_ run", Ken-kun said, kneeling beside me. I nodded. He put his hands on my face and wiped my face. _Huh? I'm bleeding from my face?_ I felt around my eyes and my fingertips became red. _I'm crying blood…_

"Blood… No, tears. What the fuck… Oi, hey, Touka!" Nishio-san exclaimed. Touka-san ran away. He turned to us. "You two… Uh what was it? Don't be rash. And don't die, shitty brats!" After that, he was off. _Huh…_

"Your mask. It's starting to suit you. It's… gentle", the guy with tattoos said. _Ohh. So he made that. He's very skilled to make something so badass._ Ken-kun said nothing. "Little miss. It seems you don't have a mask. Would you like me to make one for you?" He asked. Before I could ask what the mask for was, Ken-kun answered for me.

"That would be great, Uta-san."

"I'll deliver it to you somehow."

People started to leave. From the corner of my eye, I saw a little girl staring at me. _Does she know me too? _I didn't like the sadness on her face, so I waved and smiled weakly at her. She was shocked, but smiled before turning away.

"Ken-kun… All those people, they knew me. Who were they?"

I didn't get an answer. But I got a hug. _I'm not complaining._

**Growl.** I felt my cheeks heat up and Ken-kun chuckled.

I felt warmth on my lips. _H-huh?! _I blinked, Ken-kun's kissing me. Like, kissing me. Holy crap, wait what – oh my god, I'm going to faint. _Don't faint! Enjoy the hell out of it! _S-shut up!_ Don't be stupid and enjoy it! _I thought I told you to shut up!

"Mi-chan. You're mine. And I'm yours. I'll protect you with my life."

What happened isn't exactly sinking in, but I think he just claimed me as his girlfriend.

_But it's weird how it's not weird. I'm not… against it at all…_

Shut up. _Ugh, I'm blushing again._

"You're still shy as ever. I'll make sure no one else hurts you. I'll make them know that you're mine." His eyes gleamed as he stared at me.

_E-eh?! I think I'm about to become food…_

He chuckled and took my hand as he led me away.

_To be continued…_

* * *

Author's note: Welp. Review, follow, or favorite if you like. :)


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